Mundane
by ElleSmith
Summary: During a seemingly easygoing mission, Duo and Heero stay undercover at a boarding school and get to know one another. Trouble, however, always stalks a Gundam pilot, even when living a mundane life. 2 1. Angst, drama, action & Heero suffering.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**_ The characters of Gundam Wing and all that relates to the After Colony universe belongs to Bandai, Sunrise, Sotsu Agency & TV Asahi 1995 (c). The following is a fan fiction story that was written for none profitable purposes.

_**Title:**_ Mundane

_**Author:**_ Elle Smith.

_**Warnings:**_ 2+1. Rated T for: angst, drama, action/adventure (I hope) and some Heero suffering for good measure.

_**Summary:**_ During a seemingly easygoing mission, Duo and Heero stay undercover at a boarding school and get to know one another. Trouble, however, always stalks a Gundam pilot, even when living a mundane life.

_**Author's note:**_ This will most likely be the background story for a different fic I'm planning to write, set about ten years after the war. It will be a 1x2/2x1, but for now this story is about a friendship forming between Duo and Heero. I thought it might be nice to go back to the beginning (meaning the anime itself) and try to write my own interpretation. I hope I did Duo and Heero (some) justice.

_**Author's note II: **_The medical descriptions in the story are based on my own experiences; I have no real medical knowledge beyond Wikipedia.

_**Author's note III:**_ To those of you who are reading 'Kaifuku' – my apologies. I need more time to finish the fic, I think I got a little over my head with the plot. In the meantime, I simply had to get this idea down on paper, I hope you'll enjoy this story as well.

**Mundane / Part 01**

The town of Brest, located by the 'Rade de Brest' harbor, offered little to charm the tourists. The wide peninsula, which sheltered the town from the wild seas that lashed at the coastline of Brittany, France, was the only attraction available for the sight-seeking tourist. It also made Brest an important seaport and naval base. At times of yore there were a medieval port and winding cobblestone streets to mystify the tourists, however, those attractions were lost to modernization. Now, in the midst of After Colony 195, Brest was a modern bleak town, too desolate to maintain much verdure. Few outsiders walked its gray streets; the only foreigners were white-uniformed sailors on shore leave.

The town's mid-twentieth century architecture amplified the sense of grayness that descended upon the city when it rained, which it often did. Up on headland, stood the impressive 15th-century 'Chateau de Brest', which was a landmark attraction. The ancient structure could be seen from a great distance, standing proud on a cliff overlooking the bay. The castle, which was once used by French aristocrats, had been renovated into a boy's only boarding school. The institution wasn't overly prestigious; even so, young men from around the province attended it. It was a perfect place if you were a fifteen-year-old outlaw searching for a place to hide. And, so it happened, that the newest student arriving to the chateau was, in fact, a fifteen-year-old terrorist fighting a war he had been trained to fight his whole life.

The quiet aloof teenager arrived to the boarding school on a cloudy morning, earning a few curious glances as he walked through the corridors, guided by a member of the faculty. He didn't look left nor right as he walked, keeping his eyes focused ahead, ignoring any friendly smiles or whispering among the students. It was unusual for an Asian student to attend the school since it was hard for people to travel from country to country during wartime. Therefore, the fact that he – an obvious foreigner – had entered the school, lead students to assume that he was a son of an important delegate or something of the sort. It was only natural that they were curious.

Ignoring them, Heero held his suitcase tightly and continued to follow the school-counselor as she showed him around the school grounds. He was grateful when she finally showed him to his dorm room. He thanked her with what little French he knew and closed the door behind him. Leaning heavily on the closed door, Heero let out a small sigh, closing his eyes for a moment's rest. Alone at last, he felt much more relaxed. He never liked to admit it, but too much attention from his surrounding made him uneasy. He did not enjoy being looked at so closely and therefore found the tour throughout the school an inconvenience.

Opening his eyes, Heero turned to examine his new hideout. The dormitory was located in a building not far from the chateau. It was a newer, but its architecture still held an ancient theme to it, to match the castle no doubt. The room itself was simple, much like any other dorm he had stayed in before. There were two single beds, one at each side of the room, accompanied by a dresser and a desk by each one. To his left was another door, which he assumed led to the bathroom. Opposite of the entrance was a large narrow window which allowed some dim winter light into the gloomy room.

Slowly, heavily, Heero detached himself from the door. He chose the bed to his right, preferring to sleep in front of the door, the only escape route from the room, and placed his suitcase over the navy-blue blanket. Sighing tiredly, for it had been a long journey from South East Asia to France, he opened the suitcase, exposing what little possessions he had.

Lightning flashed the room with electric light and Heero looked up at the window just as thunder rolled. Neglecting the suitcase, he walked over to the window to take a look. The long narrow window overlooked the Rade de Brest bay, where a storm was forming over the ocean. Large warships were anchored within the wide bay. Heero focused his Prussian blue eyes on the ships, frowning. He then turned to search for the naval base, his reason for being in Brest.

Another lightning flashed in the distance, soon followed by thunder. The storm was about to reach the city. Heero forlornly gazed at the town spread at the foot of the cliff. Brest seemed drearier when it rained. The sight was discouraging; Brest was too gray, too gloomy, for his liking. It reminded him of dark hollow champers in which he'd been held his whole life. Gray walls that watched him being punished and disciplined in non brutal, yet sadistic, methods. The cruelest of which being J's Sensory Deprivation Sessions, in which he had been placed inside an Isolation Tank [i] for days, secluded as though dead. At first he had dreaded that form of punishment, but in time it became his escape, a small haven. Sometimes, it even felt comfortable to be isolated; it felt safe, like a womb.

Light drizzle began dripping against the window, painting sharp slanted stripes across the cool glass. Heero blinked, pulled out of his dark musings by the rain. He slowly turned away from the window, suddenly feeling cold. As a colony born, his body was unaccustomed to winter. Colony temperature was a pleasant twenty-five degrees Celsius. He was unused to Earth's frequently changing weather and often suffered from bothersome colds.

Shivering, he placed a hand over his right arm where a sudden ache appeared. The bullet wound pilot 02 had inflicted on him was pulsing dimly with pain. Heero found that old injuries hurt so much more in the wintertime. Even bones that had been broken and healed years ago ached when it rained. It was an annoyance which lead Heero to decide he disliked the winter. He much preferred warm weather, when all he had to wear was a tank top and shorts and nothing hurt as much as it did in the cold.

Walking over to his bed, the Japanese teenager returned to his suitcase. His meager belongings rested between a few sets of neatly folded clothes. He reached for a simple black sweater and wore it over his white long-sleeved shirt. Feeling a bit warmer, he turned to unpack. He was halfway through arranging his clothes inside the dresser, when he heard footsteps approaching the door. He looked up, alert.

"Oh yeah! There it is! Thanks!" A loud voice called behind the door. Heero frowned at the sound of it; he recognized the voice.

"I never would have found it by myself. That counselor was too busy to make time for me... yeah, she said I was late for that tour she gave earlier... What? Oh, yeah, thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Merci mon ami! Au revoir!"

For a moment, Heero considered reaching for his handgun, but decided against it. He waited, standing by the dresser, and watched the door as it opened. His features remained stony as a boy walked into the room, swift and fresh like an ocean breeze sweeping past him.

Heero resisted the urge to sigh and merely stared quietly. Duo Maxwell walked into the small room, carrying a large duffle over his shoulder. He flashed the other teenager a wide devil-may-care smile.

"Hey Heero," he greeted, "Long time no see."

"What are you doing here?" Heero asked with dismay, displeased that his small sanctuary of solitude was being invaded by another human being.

"Probably the same thing you are," Duo replied smoothing as he threw his duffle onto the spare bed. "I figured I'd be better off sharing a room with someone who wouldn't ask me stupid questions when I disappear in the middle of the night."

"How did you track me down?"

Duo threw himself on the bed, kicking his boots off. He seemed to be making himself very comfortable, very fast.

"You're the only student who recently joined this school," Duo explained, shrugging, "It's close to a potential target, so I figured it must be you."

_It makes sense_, Heero decided and saw no more need for conversation. He resumed unpacking, now reluctant to arrange his personal belongings in the room. He decided to leave them inside the suitcase and only unpacked his clothing.

Duo watched him from the other side of the room, a little pissed at being brushed off like that. Heero was obviously done with conversation. It was a miracle that he even bothered asking questions in the first place. Taking comfort in that, Duo decided to let Heero's arrogant attitude slide. He figured that the other teen simply didn't know what else to say. _What could he say? 'Hey Duo! Welcome! It's so good to see you! How have you been since our last mission together? I'm doing just __**great!**__' Yeah, right._ Duo rolled his eyes at his own thoughts.

"So," Duo let out cheerfully, "where'd ya stash yours?"

Heero's back tensed as he reached into the suitcase. He paused, apparently thinking over the question, and then resumed unpacking. He took a pile of neatly folded clothes and turned to arrange them inside the dresser. He did not grace Duo with an answer.

The braided teen sighed dramatically. _This isn't going to be easy_, he thought grimly, but he'll be damned if he gave up so early into the fight. Staying together with Heero at the same school was a move he had planned for a reason.

"Oh, c'mon, hero-man... _I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours..._" He teased, grinning spitefully.

Heero offered no response.

"Oh, I get it," Duo muttered, "It's a _secret_."

"Must you always speak so much?" Heero turned around and asked in a tone of voice which Duo could only assume was annoyance. Even pissed-off, Heero's voice carried little emotion. His blue eyes, however, burnt with enough intensity to give away his mood. Duo smiled.

"Uh... yeah, I think so," he replied dumbly, acting the fool as always, "Does it bother you? You want me to shut up? Just say the word and I'll shove a sock down my throat, really. I wouldn't want to upset my new roommate!" He laughed exaggeratedly.

Heero simply stared at him for a moment, trying to decipher the person in front of him. Duo appeared to be a very extrovert person, a quality which Heero expected would make it easier for him to read the other teen, but now he was beginning to suspect that it was all smoke and mirrors. Duo's outgoing personality only aided to conceal what he _really_ thought. Heero was unable to read the other pilot and it unsettled him. He looked away.

Quieting down, Duo watched Heero take a small toiletries bag out of his suitcase. He followed him with his gaze as the Wing pilot walked to the small bathroom to arrange his things there.

Duo sighed. Heero seems to do everything so... _methodically_. He seemed like a very difficult person to connect with, but Duo Maxwell was a determined young man. He'll find a friend in God damned wartime, whether the person in question wanted it or _not_. Surviving alone was not an option. It was impossible, in fact. There was no point in fighting if you didn't have a reason to survive the battle. Friends were a good reason as any, especially after he had lost everyone else he had ever loved.

If he was to survive the war, he needed a friend. And by his calculations, circumstances made Heero and he a perfect match. Heero was the only other G-pilot he knew personally. If he was to make friends with any of them, Heero would be a good start. He needed to make the other pilot see that they could both benefit from sticking together.

Putting on a smile, Duo jumped off the bed and began unpacking his duffle bag. He would find himself a reason to live, whether Heero Yuy wanted to be that reason or not!

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The first rays of sunshine filtered through a crack in the thick drapes, shedding a gray beam of light into the small room. The weak radiance was enough to disturb Duo's sleep. The braided teen grunted and turned to lie on his side, facing the wall to escape it. He didn't feel like getting up yet, it was too early. Besides, he _really_ didn't want to go to class!

While the boarding school provided a good hiding place to a boy his age, the downside was that he had to attend classes. He really didn't want to. He never liked school when he was growing up at the Church, and he sure as Hell didn't like it now when he had a mission to get ready for. Schooling was the _last_ thing on his mind. He simply wasn't the learning type. Maybe Heero was – he sure seemed like it – but Duo preferred to sleep in late and spend his free time doing stuff; _not_ studying.

Unable to fall back asleep, Duo rolled over to lie on his back and rested and arm over his eyes, to hide from the light. His gaze slowly shifted to peek from behind the shelter of his arm, daring a glimpse at the other bed. Heero lay curled under the covers, breathing heavily in sleep.

The other teen hadn't showed up for dinner the previous evening. In fact, he left the room soon after Duo had arrived and didn't return until late at night. Duo supposed that he went to check on his Gundam or something. As Heero entered their room late at night, he simply nodded a silent greeting at Duo. He was dressed in sweat-soaked jogging gear, and Duo realized that the other pilot had been exercising.

It was a shame, because the Duo had hoped to spend some time with his fellow pilot; perhaps get to know him better. Instead, he settled on silently observing his partner during his daily routines. He lay on his bed, listening to music through a set of headphones, and watched Heero from the corner of his eyes. He took note of the way Heero organized his belongings after he showered, doing everything so damn neatly. He also noted how Heero was reluctant to expose the content of his suitcase as he pulled it out from under the bed and opened it while hiding its content from Duo's prying eyes. It was strange, because all he eventually took from the suitcase was a battered old pocketbook. He then settled in his bed and read for about an hour, before going to sleep.

Duo took note of every little thing, such as the way Heero's features seemed relaxed and even engrossed in the book as he read. He continued listening to his music, shifting his gaze towards Heero every now and then. Any information he could get on the other teen would make his task easier to accomplish.

An alarm clock beeped softly and gradually grew louder. Duo frowned as he was pulled out of his musings. They still had another good hour or so before having to get up. Breakfast was severed in the dining hall at 07:30 a.m. and classes started at 08:45. There was still time, so why did Heero set his alarm to go off so early? Was he going out to do some exercise again?

Sliding his arm down to uncover his eyes, Duo turned his head to look at the other bed. Heero lay snuggled under a navy-blue blanket, his unruly bangs sprawled over the pillow and his mouth hung open in sleep. The alarm was still beeping. Duo sighed and shook his head, turning to gaze at the ceiling with annoyance.

A moment later, he heard a small moan coming from the other side of the room, followed by the rustling of sheets. There was a soft clatter and then the alarm stopped. _Finally,_ Duo thought, rolling his eyes and closing them again. _Please don't be noisy in the morning,_ he begged Heero mentally, wishing to go back to sleep.

He listened for any noise Heero might make, but none came. Confused, Duo turned around to look at the other bed, and frowned. Heero went straight back to sleep, rolling over and nestling deeper into the covers. He hid his face from the light, allowing only the top of his head to peek out, his messy brown hair sticking out in every direction. Duo took a moment to stare and appreciate the new discovery: Heero needed the snooze alarm to get up in the morning. He hadn't expected that from a person who seemed so disciplined and meticulous as Heero.

Half an hour later, the snooze alarm went off. This time, Heero's hand flew up to shut it.

Duo opened his eyes slowly, pretending to be waking up and watched as the Japanese teen sat up groggily. Heero sat on the bed, his bare feet peeking out of the blanket and his eyes heavy with sleep. The teen's face was haggard and his brown hair was in complete disarray. Along with the sloppy white T-shirt Heero was wearing, he resembled a sleepy child rather than the deadly soldier Duo knew him to be.

The Wing pilot blinked repeatedly, seemingly having a hard time waking up. He finally looked up and his sleepy blue eyes met Duo's for the first time. Something immediately hardened in his expression. He seemed awake in an instant, glaring at Duo as though he was some kind of an unwelcomed invader. Perhaps he was.

"Uh, mornin'," Duo greeted with a croaky voice, still hoarse with sleep even though he'd been awake for over an hour. He wondered if Heero forgot all about his presence and was certain that he was waking up alone.

Heero stared mutely, his face a stony mask, and then nodded slightly in greeting. Then, in what seemed like a streak of determination, he swiftly got up. Duo followed him with his gaze as the teen walked to the bathroom, running a hand through his messy brown hair.

_Definitely not the morning type,_ Duo noted to himself; _Figures_.

Heero was in the bathroom for about fifteen minutes. Duo was anxious to go himself, but then he heard water running and figured Heero was showering. He sighed and rolled over to lie on his back, throwing a hand over his eyes again.

A few minutes later Heero finally emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a white undershirt and white boxer briefs. His hair was dripping water, still as messy as ever. Duo allowed himself a small peek from behind the shelter of his arm. He could see the bullet wound on Heero's arm, a wound which he'd inflicted. He examined it, chewing at his bottom lip. It seemed to be healing up nicely, though still red and probably sore.

He watched as the Wing pilot walked to his dresser and opened a drawer. He pulled out a neatly folded set of the school's uniform. When Duo looked down at Heero's legs (somewhat amused to see that the fifteen-year-old was starting to grow hair on his legs, much like himself – for hair seemed to grow everywhere on him these days), he noted the second bullet wound on the boy's thigh, another wound which he'd inflicted. Feeling guilty, he decided that an apology was in order. He couldn't expect to befriend with a person he'd shot – twice in a row no less.

"Uh, Heero?" he began slowly, drawing the teen's attention.

Heero closed the drawer, threw the uniform on the bed and turned his back to Duo as he began to dress. "What is it?" he asked, picking up the white button-down shirt.

"Sorry I shot you," Duo blurted out, watching Heero slip his muscular arms into the shirt. The Wing pilot was still facing the other way as he buttoned up the shirt.

"Think nothing of it," he said calmly.

While Duo didn't expect him to hold a grudge or anything (hey – he did rescue Heero from the Alliance hospital later on!), he was still expecting something more than an indifferent 'think nothing of it'.

Pushing himself up so he was leaning on one arm for support, Duo raised a skeptic eyebrow. "You sure? I mean, it was kinda nasty how I left you there floating in the water... I'm sorry for that too."

Heero's back tensed for a split second before relaxing again. _Well,_ Duo mused, _as much as Heero allowed his muscles to relax_. His posture always seemed so rigid, his back and shoulders stiff. Nevertheless, Duo could still detect the subtle change in Heero's stance; he always had an eye for details.

"There's no need to apologize," Heero finally replied, his voice quiet. Even while Duo had rarely heard Heero speak, he came to realize that the Wing pilot's voice was always just above a whisper. It wasn't a shy or timid voice; simply quiet, like there was something wrong, maybe unfamiliar, about speaking up.

Heero quickly slipped into a pair of dark blue pants and tucked the shirt in. Once fully dressed, he finally turned to face Duo.

"Breakfast is in ten minutes," he announced and walked to the bathroom. Duo studied the other teen as he stood in front of the small mirror by the sink, brushing his nearly dried hair. His movements were like automaton, a bit too robotic for Duo's liking. He frowned, trying hard to make sense of the strange boy he decided to befriend. _Is it even possible?_ he wondered, _is there even a 'Heero' to befriend?_

Sighing, Duo threw the covers aside and finally got out of bed. Heero walked back into the room and reached for a black tie still lying on his bed. He expertly secured it around his neck and turned to put on the dark-blue jacket. Duo hurried to use the bathroom and stepped out after a performing a hasty morning routine. Heero was already at the door, ready to leave the room.

"Hey, man, wait up," Duo called, hurrying to pull his uniform out of the dresser. "I'll be ready in a jiffy."

He was surprised when Heero actually continued standing there, waiting. It meant that there was hope after all.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

To be continued next weekend.

Elle.

[i] An **isolation tank** is a lightless, soundproof tank in which subjects float in salty water at skin temperature. **Sensory deprivation** is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or hoods and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing respectively, while more complex devices can also cut off the sense of smell, touch, taste, thermoception (heat-sense), and 'gravity'. Sensory deprivation has been used in various alternative medicines and in psychological experiments (e.g., see Isolation tank). Though short periods of sensory deprivation can be relaxing, extended deprivation can result in extreme anxiety, hallucinations, bizarre thoughts, depression, and antisocial behavior


	2. Chapter 2

**Mundane / Part 02**

The dining hall was down on the ground floor, across from the lobby. The dormitory hallways were filled with students heading down the stairs to have their breakfast. Some glanced curiously at the two new students, but most ignored them, being too busy socializing and greeting each other with a friendly 'bonjour'.

Duo walked alongside Heero, looking around at the posh décor with silent awe in his cobalt eyes. Lush blue carpets and luxurious gray drapes decorated the corridors. The floor was an elegant gray marble, and so was the grand staircase which led down to the lobby. Everything smelled old and dust particles danced lazily in the chilly morning air.

They crossed the grand lobby and followed the rows of students into the dining hall. Passing through fancy glass doors, framed with silver lining, the two headed towards the serving lines. The mess hall was already buzzing with activity and the constant humming of morning conversations. Duo turned to look at the silent teenager standing before him and frowned inwardly. It was unlikely that Heero and he would engage in such conversation. Breakfast was doomed to be boring.

Each of the covert Gundam pilots picked up a tray and stood in line to have their breakfast served. Duo helped himself to some French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and a sweet butter-croissant for dessert. He also added a cup of strong black coffee to accompany his breakfast. It wasn't often that he could get his hands on such a mouthwatering meal and he was delighted to have it. However, when he looked at Heero's tray, he suddenly felt guilty for choosing what he had. His fellow pilot was obviously on the healthy side of the nutritional scale, having taken plain toast, a boiled egg, some vegetables and cheese. The only similarity between their meals was a cup of steaming black coffee.

Looking up, Duo was surprised to notice that Heero was also eyeing his tray, a hint of disapproval – and some curiosity – reflecting in his Prussian blue eyes. When he noticed Duo had caught him looking, he quickly turned back to face the serving lines and picked up two small packs of butter and strawberry jam. Duo smiled at the sight, encouraged to see Heero pick something sweet and 'unhealthy'.

They took a seat by a table at the far end of the dining hall. The table was unoccupied and stood by a large panoramic window overlooking the bay. The Atlantic Ocean sparkled under the morning sun. Warm rays of sunshine engulfed the two as they sat down to have their meal. Heero sat with his back to the window, while Duo sat opposite of him so he could watch the view. He gazed at the bluish-gray ocean below while munching on his meal.

From time to time, Duo dared to shift his gaze towards Japanese teenager ate his meal quietly, completely focused on his plate, as though he was trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. When he caught Duo looking at him again, he frowned.

"Is something the matter?" he asked in his usual tone of voice, which Duo decided was plain and indifferent monotone.

Duo shook his head and smiled politely. "Nope," he shrugged, "Just bored I guess. You're awfully quiet."

"What would you like me to say?"

It was Duo's turn to frown. _What an odd question_; he had no idea how to reply. After a moment of thought, Duo decided to be blunt. "Well, how about you tell me something about yourself?"

"Hn," Heero let out an unintelligible but clearly dismissing sound, "There is nothing to tell." He focused back on his breakfast

Duo resisted the urge to sigh with frustration and decided to give conversation another shot. "Well then, um..." he began, searching for a question to get things going, "Do you speak any French?"

Heero, who was spreading strawberry jelly on his toast, looked up. He considered Duo for a moment before turning back to what he was doing. "Some."

"Oh," Duo let out, having nothing more intelligible to say. "So, uh, what other languages do you speak?"

Now Heero was frowning, as though debating whether or not the question was worth his time answering.

"A bit of Spanish, German, Russian and Japanese," he finally replied and took a small bite from the toast.

"Wow. That's impressive," Duo marveled, overacting on purpose, "I just speak plain ol' dumb American."

Heero put the toast down, apparently displeased with the taste. Duo waited for the conversation to pick up again, preferably by Heero, but the other teen didn't comment on what he had to say. Duo sighed inwardly. It was up to him to keep the conversation going.

"So you can make conversation in any of these languages?" _Who am I kidding – Heero can barely make conversation in English!_

"If I must," Heero muttered, "I can handle a basic exchange of words."

"Oh, yeah? Cool. My language skills pretty much sum up to saying 'stop or I'll shoot' in like twenty languages." Duo was rather proud of that fact, but Heero didn't seem the least impressed; he gave no response.

"Tomaranai to utsu zo!" Duo called out and pointed his fingers like a gun, aiming at Heero. The teen's head shot up, his blue eyes as sharp as knives, highly alert. Duo pretended to pull the trigger and then blew the smoke from the 'barrel'. He grinned, happy to have gotten such a strong response from Heero. He could tell that the other teen tensed like Hell when he had said those words.

Heero soon relaxed and shook his head, obviously not appreciating the joke. "_Damaranai_ to utsu zo," he muttered as he reached for his cup of coffee. Duo could pick up a hint of dark humor in his voice.

"Huh?" he blinked, playing dumb again, "I was pretty sure it's 'tomaranai', not 'damaranai'."

Heero smirked and took a sip of the bitter beverage.

"Hold it!" Duo exclaimed animatedly, "You were making fun of me, weren't you?! What did you say?!"

Heero merely sipped his coffee, smirking behind the white cup. [A/N: He said 'shut up or I'll shoot'.]

Duo huffed a few bangs out of his eyes in overacted frustration. "You're a real piece of work, hero-man."

"The same applies to you," Heero muttered in slight annoyance and put his drink down. He turned to look at Duo with a fierce, scrutinizing glare. "What exactly are you trying to achieve?"

"What do you mean?" Duo leaned back into his seat, honestly confused. Heero in return leaned forward, pinning him with his dark blue gaze.

"Why are you trying to befriend me?"

"Uh... so we could be friends?"

Heero's brows furrowed with either suspicion or confusion, Duo wasn't sure which.

"Why?" he repeated the question, his voice wavering slightly, giving away his honest confusion. Duo offered a soft, friendly, smile.

"Why not? The way I see it, all we have right now is each other."

If Heero was surprised to hear those words, he didn't show it. Instead, he leaned back into his chair and resumed drinking his coffee. His eyes seemed distant, thoughtful, as he stared at the table, drinking. Duo searched for a way to break the awkward silence.

"So, uh, I forgot to ask – which class are you in?" It was a dumb question, for the answer was obvious to both Heero and he. Still, it was something neutral to say.

"9-D," Heero replied without looking up.

"Hey, cool, me too!"

"Naturally," Heero muttered, "It's a class designated for foreign exchange students."

"Oh, right," Duo mumbled as his excitement faded. Heero took everything so seriously! Still, he wasn't about to let Heero's indifference get him down. It just made things a bit more challenging, that's all.

"I bet they're gonna be teaching us French and shit." Duo continued and looked up, expecting some sort of a response from his comrade. He received none; Heero simply finished his drink quietly. Duo sighed, disappointed.

"So, when are you due out?" He tried a different topic, hoping that a mission-related issue will coax Heero into more talking. "You waiting for an A-OK from the old man?"

Heero's back tensed noticeably. Slowly, he placed his coffee down. If Duo didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Heero was so tense that the palm of his hand was shaking ever so slightly.

"No," Heero mumbled, his head bowed slightly as though to conceal his speech. "I'm operating on my own accord."

"Oh," Duo let out, surprised that Heero wasn't taking orders from anyone, much like himself. He smiled kindly. "Well, buddy, that's something we have in common. I'm sort of a freelancer myself."

"Then why are you here?" Heero was pinning him with his fierce blue gaze again, his brief anxiety gone as though it had never been there. "The odds of both of us choosing the same... _target_," he lowered his voice when speaking the word, "Are slim to say the least. There were plenty of other options for you to choose from, yet you chose to come to the same place I have. Why?"

"I figured that this is a two men operation. Someone had to come and give you a hand. I can operate underwater so I'm most suitable."

"I don't need your assistance. I'm fully capable of performing this task on my own, _without_ operating underwater."

"Yeah, of course you can, hero-man. I know that."

"Then why are you here?" Heero pressed harder, glaring suspiciously at his unwanted accomplice.

Duo's mouth curled into a sarcastic smile. "What – you think I'm spying on you or something?" His fierce gaze dared Heero to give a positive answer.

Suddenly, a loud clatter echoed through the dining hall. Heero was on his feet in less than a second, a hand reaching behind his back to draw a weapon. Duo whirled around to see what's going on, less inclined to pull out a gun in the middle of a crowded hall.

Apparently, a food tray was thrown to the floor as one of the students threw himself over the table and began vomiting. A wave of disgusted moans rushed through the crowd of students. The boy was retching loudly, making everyone around him feel nauseated as well.

Duo turned back to Heero, wrinkling his nose with disgust. "Remind me not to take what he had for breakfast."

Heero, who was still standing rigid and alert, slowly retracted his hand from the pistol hidden behind his back. He sat down again, his eyes watching the scene like a hawk. Two other boys left their table to help the sick student leave the dining hall, most likely to the nurse's office. Only when they were out the door, Heero shifted his gaze away. His eyes met with Duo's and he could see the amusement in the other teen's eyes. Feeling self-conscious, Heero looked away.

"There's nothing wrong with being cautious," he said quietly, trying to justify his actions even when he knew he didn't have to. He briefly wondered why he bothered.

Duo's smile only widened, pleased. "Of course," he said, trying to keep himself from grinning. "C'mon, we better get to class. I wanna get a seat at the front row. I heard French teachers are _really_ hot."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

French class turned out to be boring and Madam Truffaut was nowhere _near_ Duo's definition of 'hot'. She was in her fifties, scrawny, stern, and she spoke in a slow boring monotone accompanied by a heavy French accent. She was as far from his sexual fantasies as possible. Duo berated himself for insisting on a seat at the front row of the class. And there he thought he could get some underwear action if he peeked. _What a jerk!_

Leaning over his desk, struggling not to fall asleep, Duo sighed quietly, totally and utterly bored out of his freaking mind. He lifted his gaze towards Heero, who was sitting to his left, taking notes. He had an open textbook leaning on his lap, supported by the desk so that it rested in a diagonal angle which only allowed Heero to see it. He was holding a yellow notepad in the same fashion, concealing it from the teacher's sight as he wrote. Curious, Duo wondered why Heero was hiding what he was doing. He began to doubt it was class-related.

Duo shifted his weight from side to side, anxious and bored. The movement earned him a stern glare from Madam Truffaut. He straightened his back and gave her his best charming smile until she looked away. When she resumed speaking to the rest of the class, Duo leaned sideways to check out what Heero was doing, hoping it would help ease his boredom.

When he read over the written lines in Heero's notepad, one thing was painstakingly obvious – Heero wasn't writing no French. The yellow page was filled with row after row of neatly written Chinese characters. As Duo glanced at the textbook Heero was holding against the desk, he noted that it wasn't their French Language textbook, but a Chinese one.

"Hey man," he whispered and looked up briefly to make sure his speech went unnoticed, "What's up with the Chinese?"

"It's Kanji," Heero whispered back as he continued writing the same character across one line over and over again, never averting his eyes from his task. "Chinese characters used in Japanese writing."

"Oh," Duo let out, dumbfound. He followed Heero's writing hand with his gaze. The other teen's movement were very elegant as he glided the pen across the paper. Duo didn't expect Heero's fingers to be so gentle-looking, almost gracefully so, as he wrote. He had seen him in battle, he'd seen him shoot, kill and even set his own broken bones. It just didn't sit right with Duo to see such dainty fingers, suited for a pianist's and not a killer.

"So," Duo continued the conversation, "you teaching yourself Japanese?"

Madam Truffaut sent the two a harsh glare from across the classroom, hinting that she heard them and expected them to be quiet. Duo ignored her and leaned closer to Heero.

The Japanese teen nodded a silent 'yes' and Duo smiled softly.

"How come?"

"It's something I never had time to do before," Heero replied quietly. He turned to the textbook, memorized a new Kanji character and returned to the notepad to practice it.

"Yeah, I guess we don't get a lot of free time, do we?" Duo agreed, "I think it's great that you found a hobby."

"This is not a hobby," Heero pointed out defensively.

"Yeah, okay, sure. But it's not a duty either, right? It's something you're doing for yourself?"

Heero paused his writing for a moment to think, then nodded his head and resumed writing. "I suppose so. I wouldn't know."

"Wouldn't know what? That you're doing something for yourself?"

More and more Kanji letters formed on the paper as Heero continued to write silently. He didn't seem inclined to grace Duo with an answer. Duo didn't mind. Exchanging whispered words during class was a normality other teenagers took for granted, but not he. To him, the moment was precious; even when while the conversation was rather lacking.

"I never had time for myself before I came to Earth," Heero suddenly confessed, still writing.

Duo looked up, surprised that Heero chose to continue the conversation after such a long period of silence on his part. He smiled, glad that Heero was opening up to him, even if it was just this little thing. Somehow, it didn't feel little at all.

"I was always training," Heero elaborated, without even being asked to.

_Wow, _Duo marveled, _the wonders just keep on coming. _Then he noticed that Heero's posture had stiffened. It was a subtle change which was hardly noticeable to others, but Duo sort of knew what to look for in order to somehow read Heero. He also realized that it was not the first time he saw the Japanese teen tense like that. It happened before, at the cafeteria, when he had hinted about J while asking a question. Duo wondered if the two occasions were related.

"Yeah, I know, me too," he finally responded to Heero's small confession, referring to their training. "It sucked, but that shit's gonna be worthwhile, you'll see."

Heero did not reply to that either and continued practicing the Kanji. In the background, Madam Truffaut struggled to teach the foreign-exchange students that basic structure of the French language. Duo couldn't care less. He was finally able to speak with Heero like two normal people and that was all the language skills he wanted to learn at the moment. Having a conversation with the aloof teen by his side was a greater achievement than simply mastering the French language.

"How long did you train for?" Duo dared to ask, "I've been at it for three years."

"Monsieur Maxwell!" Truffaut suddenly exclaimed, "Enough chatter!"

Just as the teacher shouted, another loud sound came from the back of the classroom. Heero whirled around swiftly. Duo also turned to see what was going on. One of the students bolted out of his seat, holding a hand over his mouth. He ran stumbling out of the classroom. The door swung wildly behind him and soon after loud gagging could be heard. The student was apparently vomiting out in the hallway. Duo stared at the swinging door, his eyes wide. _What are they putting in the food – rat poison?!_

"Monsieur Münster," Truffaut addressed one of the pupils, "Please escort Monsieur Fernandez to the infirmary. Inform nurse Bessette that we have another case on our hands."

A young blond boy nodded and hurried to leave the classroom. Duo watched him leave, frowning. When he looked up, he saw that Heero was doing the same.

A weak cough came from the row behind them and everyone, including Truffaut, turned to look at the cougher. The young man lifted his hands to signal that nothing was wrong and everyone relaxed. Sighing, Truffaut continued with the lesson.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Duo whispered harshly to Heero. The Japanese teen merely looked ahead, frowning in thought, having no answer to give him.

The door opened and the school councilor stepped in, looking pale and worried. She approached Truffaut and exchanged a few silent words with her. The class watched the two, silently holding their breaths. Duo caught a few whispered words floating in the room; something about ending classes for the day. He wondered what in the blazing Hell was going on.

Madam Truffaut nodded and spoke a few French words with the councilor before she left. She then turned to the class, her wrinkled face grim.

"Well, gentlemen, it seems we have a small outbreak on our hands," she spoke with a forbidding tone. "The school board has decided to send the ill students home so we may all continue to attend classes as usual."

Long moans of disappointment swept across the classroom, shared by all the students. Truffaut ignored them and continued. "In addition, a curfew has been established after school hours. You are to stay in your dorm rooms after dinner."

More sounds of protest swept through the class. By then, Truffaut had Duo's and Heero's utmost attention. They both knew that the curfew would interfere with their mission.

"Quiet down gentlemen!" Truffaut requested harshly, "This is for your own wellbeing. It's better to avoid social gatherings between students to prevent others from being infected."

"Infected by what?!" Duo couldn't keep it in anymore and simply shouted.

"The 'gut-puking virus'!" Someone called from behind and others laughed.

"There's no such thing as a 'gut-puking virus'! It's called a 'Bolt-up-and-run-puking virus'!" Someone else joked and the class laughed some more.

"It's an ear infection, Monsieur Maxwell," Truffaut explained more amiably. "I regret to say that the two of you have joined our school at a most unpleasant time. The virus is spreading faster than we can send the students home to prevent further infection."

"Great," Duo muttered and settled back into his seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, scowling. "Just great." And there he thought he could get some enjoyable R&R during a laidback mission.

"The teaching staff will be patrolling the school grounds to make sure curfew isn't broken," Truffaut continued to address the whole class. "The principle has threatened to expel anyone who breaks curfew. It's for your own good. Do as you're told and this will all be over soon."

Some students sighed resignedly, some whined and others complained heatedly. Duo just turned to look at Heero, wishing to see the reaction written on his face. As expected, Heero's features were stern and stiff. The wheels were no doubt turning in his head, most likely working out how to break out of the school unnoticed when the time came to execute their mission. To Duo, curfew was a blessing. It made his own private mission easier to accomplish. Looking at Heero's profile, Duo had to suppress a smirk. I _guess we're stuck together, hero-man. There's no avoiding me now._

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

**To be continued next weekend.**

Elle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Mundane / Part 03**

After dinner, the teaching staff ordered the students to retire to their rooms and stay there for the remainder of the evening. Some students attempted to protest, claiming that they've all been sitting together during dinner and that was worse than any small social gathering they might have later that night. The teachers were not convinced and rushed the grumbling students back to their rooms. While Duo had to admit the students did make a good point, he didn't want to cause any trouble and simply left with the flow of students.

In truth, being stuck together in their room was just the opportunity Duo needed in order to continue his attempts to befriend Heero. If there was no mission to perform, Heero had no reason to leave the room and that meant Duo had him all to himself with no distractions. He was determined to make the most of it. Heero had already opened up to him in class and he was going to strike the iron while it was hot.

The late evening hours found the two young pilots in opposite sides of the room, keeping to themselves. Heero was sitting at the center of his bed, facing the room as he leaned against the wall, reading a book. He had changed out of his school uniform and into a dark-blue tracksuit. Even though the room was heated, Heero also had a blanket thrown over his lap to keep him warm. Duo had noticed that Heero was rather sensitive to the cold, while he himself was perfectly comfortable with the heating alone. In fact, he was lying in bed, over the covers, wearing a simply black T-shirt and matching sweatpants. He lay on his back, one arm and one leg dangling off the bed, swinging back and forth as he listened to music on his PDA. Death-Metal was his favorite and he liked to play it loudly.

The music was so loud that Heero could also hear it from the other side of the room. He looked up from behind the shelter of his book and stared at Duo and for a while. The braided teen had his eyes closed as he nodded his head to the music, so he couldn't see Heero looking. Heero noticed that Duo was mouthing the lyrics, obviously enjoying himself. He bowed his head and continued to read. As he looked away, Duo opened his eyes and dared a glance in Heero's direction. While his features remained stony as he read, Heero's dark blue eyes seemed to be drinking every word hungrily. Duo couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight.

Even though he had every indication that Heero was a harsh, and some would even say heartless, person, he was slowly beginning to realize that it wasn't true. The Heero Yuy he first got to know was a person willing to shoot an innocent girl and then not even wince when he was shot himself. A person who was willing to kill himself by jumping off a building; a person who didn't think twice before setting his own broken leg, without even a grimace. Heero was also the kind of person who had no problem stealing from him even after he had saved his life! Indeed, there were many indications to fool Duo into thinking of Heero as nothing but a coldhearted bastard. And yet, there he was, lying on a bed less than ten feet from that seemingly unreachable person, seeing someone completely different.

He wondered how that could be, merely two days after rooming with his fellow pilot. Was it because of his conscious decision to befriend the other boy? Did he open his eyes, perhaps even his mind, to see beyond the cold mask? Was it really that simple to find the person behind the soldier? And why shouldn't it be? They were both only human; why should they be different under the skin?

Encouraged, Duo sat up swiftly and yanked off his earphones. He settled on the center of the bed, sitting Indian style. He sighed dramatically to gain Heero's attention.

"This curfew thing sucks."

The other teen continued reading silently.

"It's ridiculous, making us stay in our rooms like children."

"Would you rather go outside and fall ill?" Heero questioned while turning a page in his book.

"Ch," Duo snorted, "I ain't gonna be taken down by some shitty virus."

"Anyone can be infected by a virus," Heero pointed out, his eyes still glued to the novel he was reading.

"Yeah, well, y'know what? I rather be puking my guts out than to be cooped up in here. I feel like I'm fucking suffocating. I'm more of an outdoors person, never like to stay in much. I thought I'd have time to hang out with people and crap, do something else other than blast Ozzies to oblivion. G said it's gonna be an easygoing mission, to keep low profile for a while. But this is _way_ too low a profile for this pilot!"

Heero didn't comment on the long stream of words that came out of Duo's mouth; he simply continued reading. Duo sighed heavily – being purposefully dramatic – and leaned against the wall to pout at the ceiling. Maybe chatting wasn't the right way to approach Heero. The Japanese teen wasn't much of a verbal person; actions seemed to suit him better.

"I know!" Duo exclaimed as he straightened back up, "Let's play a game!"

Heero slowly turned another page in his book. "Can't you find another way to entertain yourself?"

"Not when you're around..."

Heero looked up, confused, but then he seemed to understand the reference Duo was making. He shook his head, not appreciating the joke, and returned to the novel. Duo smirked.

"So? How about it? I_ could_ jerk off in the shower, and that would keep me busy for about thirty seconds before I come to bug you again, _or_ we can play a game and keep me happy that way."

"A game," Heero repeated dryly, "aren't we a bit too old to play games?"

"Well, it depends on what kind of game we'll play. We might be too old for 'tag', but I might have something challenging enough for you."

Heero placed his book down on the bed and turned to look at him intently. A thoughtful shine in his eyes suggested that he was giving the matter some thought.

"What do you have in mind?"

It took Duo a second to realize that Heero was actually giving his consent. He wiped the smile off his face, trying to keep his enthusiasm in check.

"Umm... how about something along the line of... 'Have You Ever?', or... '21 Questions', or there's always the classic 'Truth or Dare'. I mean, okay, they're all pretty basic, but I don't have much to go on here. How about you pick one?"

"I'm not familiar with any of these games," Heero informed him as he crossed his arms over his chest, almost being defensive.

"Oh," Duo let out, feeling stupid for babbling for so long while Heero had no clue what he was talking about. He frowned. "Really? Not even 'Truth or Dare'?"

A hint of annoyance appeared in Heero's eyes. "Does that surprise you?"

"Well, yeah, cuz, y'know... _everyone_ knows how to play them. It's common knowledge."

"Common to whom?"

Duo wanted to say 'to _normal_ people', but quickly thought better of it. It was clear to him – now more than ever – that Heero hadn't lived what one would call a 'normal life'. He doubted Heero even had a real childhood. Of course, his own childhood wasn't exactly _normal_, but there were still enough moments in all the Hell he'd lived through which he considered to be 'typical growing up'. It was enough so he'd know what his life was _supposed_ to be like. Perhaps Heero never even had a glimpse at how other people lived their '_normal_' lives.

Putting his grim thoughts aside, Duo gave Heero a bright smile. "Let's just go with 'Truth or Dare'. You can never go wrong with that one."

Heero's arms were still crossed over his chest and his features were stern. "I gather that this game requires disclosing personal information?"

"Yeah, that's more or less the point," Duo shrugged, "For people to get to know each other. It's a social game. Kids play it in parties."

Heero was now frowning suspiciously. "This is another one of your attempts to befriend me. You wish to learn more about me."

"Yeah, so? Don't you want to learn more about me?"

"I fail to see why I should."

"Well, soldier-man, if nothing else, it would help you gain a better understanding of a potential friend or foe. How's that for a reason? Good enough?"

"Do you consider yourself my friend?"

"Do you consider me a foe?"

Heero's frown deepened, creating worry lines on his forehead. He seemed to be giving the matter more thought than necessary.

"Well?!" Duo pressed, annoyed.

"No," Heero replied thoughtfully, "I do not. You haven't given me a reason to consider you my enemy."

"But I've given you enough reasons to see me as a friend, right?"

"I wouldn't know, I never had a friend before," Heero admitted matter-of-factly, "Why do_ you_ consider us to be friends?"

Under any other circumstance, Duo would have found the question childish and dense. However, the sorrow he felt at the manner in which Heero so casually confessed his loneliness, made Duo feel like laughing and crying at the same time, because something inside him _really_ hurt. It was as if Heero didn't even realize that it wasn't right – that he shouldn't be alone like that. It wasn't how people were meant to live. Humans are social beings; they never thrive on their own. Heero didn't seem to know that, at least not in the emotional sense. No wonder he was both resistant and at the same time open to his attempts at friendship; he was treading on unknown territory which most likely intrigued him as much as it intimidate him.

Answering Heero's question, Duo chose to be honest and blunt. "Well, I can't fully understand it myself," he said, referring as to why he thought they should be friends, "Other than the obvious fact that we're on the same side of the fence here, I also think we clicked. Probably somewhere between the Alliance Hospital and what happened back in St. Edwards. Something just felt like... like you won't kill me the next time you'll see me," Duo let out a small laugh, to indicate a joke. Heero merely watched him with a stony expression. Duo sighed lightly.

"I feel like I can trust you, Heero," he said more seriously, "Like you'll know what it's like to be me, to fight and shit. Like... I feel like we can understand one another. That's why we should be friends."

Heero listened carefully, absorbing it all in and processing the information before speaking again. "I concur that we could be considered comrades, but referring to us as 'friends' is premature."

"How's that?" Duo tried to keep him tone light. It was getting harder to remain patient. Heero was more stubborn than a child.

"We hardly know each other," Heero pointed out, "All you've done so far is assume you know something about me. Who's to say that once we do get to know one another, we'll wish to form a friendship?"

"And _that_ brings me back to the game!" Duo exclaimed happily, glad for the opportunity to move things forward.

Jumping off the bed, he settled on the floor at the center of the room, between their two beds. He could feel Heero's sharp eyes on him as he reached behind his back to pull out a pistol. Heero tensed immediately. Duo grinned inwardly and ignored his roommate's sudden alert. He proceeded unloading the weapon, while feeling Heero's eyes on him the whole time. He let the clip fall to the floor, watching Heero from the corner of his eyes. As he placed the empty handgun on the floor, the Japanese teen finally relaxed.

Looking up into Heero's eyes, Duo reached for the gun and spun it around. He kept his eyes on Heero as the other boy watched the pistol spin until it came to a halt. The barrel of the gun was pointing towards Heero. He looked up at Duo, confused. The braided pilot smiled reassuringly.

"So, what will it be, hero-man? Truth or Dare?"

Heero frowned, eyeing the weapon as though it might open fire at him. He looked up at Duo again. "Meaning what?"

"Pick 'Truth', and I ask you a question you must answer. Pick 'Dare', and I give you a task you must perform."

"And if I refuse to pick one?"

Duo rolled his eyes. "Then there won't be no game, and I'll keep nagging you until you reload this gun and shoot me up the ass." He smirked and Heero sighed resignedly.

After a moment of consideration Heero finally lowered himself to the floor to sit in front of Duo. The braided teen sat comfortably, Indian style, while Heero sat on his knees, Japanese style. He seemed very tense, his back straight and his shoulders rigid, an obvious sign that he felt uncomfortable. _Good,_ Duo mused. He'll teach him that he had nothing to fear from social situations.

"So," Duo encouraged, "Which one will it be? Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Heero replied quickly, almost too eager to avoid having to answer a personal question.

Duo smiled and pretended to ponder over what nasty task he was going to ask Heero to perform. "Hmm... let me think..." Deep inside, Duo already knew that he shouldn't push Heero too far. He was making way too much progress to spoil it all by chasing Heero away with a humiliating task. Getting close to Heero required him to take baby steps, and so he shall. He decided to start with something simple.

"I know," Duo let out happily and tried to ignore the way Heero's shoulders tensed even more. "I dare you..." he began slowly, dragging his speech to create suspense, "to read me five passages out of that book you were reading."

He had to keep himself from smiling when he noted how the tension quickly faded from Heero's shoulders. The Japanese teen was staring at him, dumbfound. "You want me to simply _read_ to you?" He asked slowly, as if to make sure he heard right.

"Yup. Either that or I ask you a question."

Heero took a moment to think about it, probably weighing pros and cons, before he slowly nodded, deciding that there was no potential harm in performing the task. He turned around and reached for the novel he'd been reading, which was still lying on his bed.

"Which page?" he asked and Duo shrugged. "Just wherever you left off." Heero nodded again and opened the book at the last page he'd been reading.

"_Saji stumbled backwards in fear,_" Heero began slowly, clearly unused to be reading out loud. His tone was quiet and almost timid as he read. "_He now realized Louise had been using the drug from the moment their whole ordeal begu—began._"

Duo had to keep himself from smiling, so he wouldn't insult Heero. He didn't feel like smiling out of mockery, but he was happy to see that the other – seemingly 'perfect' – boy had some difficulty performing the task. It made him appear a bit more human, somehow. _Maybe there's something to this dare after all,_ Duo mused as he listened to Heero read the rest of the passages he'd asked for.

"_Suddenly, the constant glassy look in her eyes, uh, began making sense to him,_" Heero continued,"_She was now lost to him, just like the others._"

Duo also realized that Heero had been reading some kind of Techno-thriller novel. He wasn't a fan of the genre, which usually involved too many technical details, in great disproportion to the actual plot.

"..._Saji regretted never telling her that,"_ Heero finished reading and placed the book back on the bed. He turned to face Duo again, something almost sheepish hidden in his dark blue eyes. He frowned and the small emotion disappeared, pushed aside somewhere beyond Duo's perception.

"Is it my turn?" Heero asked calmly.

Duo nodded and gestured at the gun. As Heero spun it around, Duo realized that there had to be some symbolism in there somewhere, to be getting to know each other at gun point, so to speak.

The gun came to a full stop, pointing at Heero again. Frowning, he looked up at Duo. "Does this mean I'm to choose again?"

Duo nodded. "Yes, that's the point of spinning the gun. You don't choose whose next. Call it fate, if you like."

"I don't believe in fate."

Duo smiled widely. "Good, now I won't have to waste a question on it. So – truth or dare?"

Heero sighed and slumped back to lean against his bed. "Truth."

Pleased, Duo nodded his acknowledgment. Perhaps Heero was too tired to perform another tedious task, so he preferred to take a risk with 'Truth'. Duo decided to start with a simple question.

"Have you ever ridden a bike?"

Heero looked up. "Are you referring to a motorcycle?"

"Nope. Just plain old bicycle. Have you?"

Heero shook his head. "No, never."

"Not even when you were a kid?"

"That's two questions," Heero pointed out, "And no, I have not."

"Oh. Okay. My turn." Duo didn't want to make a big deal out of it. He spun the pistol again and the two boys watched it spin until it stopped, pointing at himself. He looked expectantly up at Heero. "I pick truth."

Heero took a moment to think, staring at the floor as he did. A few good minutes passed before he turned to Duo again. "I'm unable to come up with a question."

"Just ask whatever you want to know about me."

"Anything at all?"

"That's the whole point. I promise to answer truthfully." He was sure that Heero had enough things he wanted to ask, but he was reluctant to do so from the fear of having Duo also ask him an intimate question in return.

After giving the matter a little more thought, Heero looked up again. "Have _you _ever ridden a bicycle before?"

_Oh, good one Heero,_ Duo applauded mentally, _you found an easy way out._

"Yeah, sure, lots of times. I had this crappy pair, it kept breaking down on me and I ended up falling on my ass," Duo shrugged, "But I just fixed it and kept on going. Found out I have a knack for mechanics too," he ended with a smile.

Duo hoped that by giving away a lot of information he would encourage Heero to do the same later on. For the moment, Heero's only response was a single nod of his head. Heero spun the gun again and it ended up pointing at himself. He looked up at Duo, his eyes determined.

"Dare."

To spite him, Duo responded with a nasty grin. "You sure 'bout that, hero-man? Don't you prefer I ask you a question?"

"No," was the curt reply.

"Okay," Duo shrugged casually, "Then I dare you to jump on your bed twenty times."

"Jump on my bed?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Because I dared you to."

Sighing, Heero stood up and climbed on the bed. He stood on it, looking down at the braided pilot, apparently feeling awkward. Duo waited patiently for him to begin. After asking the question about the bicycle, Duo was pretty sure he was correct in his assumption that Heero never had a normal childhood. The task would help him know for sure. Heero shouldn't be accustomed to jumping on his bed like children did. It was only expected that he would find the task awkward, for it required of him to let go, to be a kid.

After a moment longer, Heero jumped up once, and then again. As Duo expected, Heero managed to go through the dare without succumbing to childish notions. His face remained completely indifferent as he simply jumped up and down twenty times. When he was done, Heero jumped off the bed and smoothly sat back on the floor.

"It was supposed to be enjoyable y'know," Duo couldn't help but mutter, disappointed.

"How so?"

Duo sighed, shaking his head. "Never mind."

He spun the gun again and it ended up pointing at himself. He looked up to pin Heero with a gaze grimmer than death. "Truth."

Heero sighed, which Duo found quite surprising since Heero didn't show his emotions so freely. Now it was very obvious that he felt disturbed by the game, but he was probably too stubborn to quit. He took his time to think of a question. Duo waited patiently, allowing Heero some quiet time to consider his options. Perhaps he was deliberating if he had more to gain or lose by taking the game onto a higher – more personal – level.

Heero's Prussian blue eyes seemed almost hesitant as he finally looked at Duo, ready to ask a question. Duo found that he was holding his breath, waiting to hear what Heero chose to do.

"Why do you wear your hair in such an unusual fashion?"

While he wanted to grin at the oh-so intimate question, Duo chose to act offended. "Unusual? That's a terrible thing to say!" he protested, hoping it wasn't too much and Heero wouldn't back away. Instead, the Japanese pilot leveled his gaze with Duo's and explained:

"I believe that plaiting your hair is considered a feminine hairstyle," he pointed out carefully, "Unless you're a member of the Qing dynasty."

Duo smiled at the small joke; he was very happy that Heero attempted to make one. It was a social skill he hadn't expected Heero to have – making a tense moment lighter by using humor.

"Uh, yeah," Duo finally agreed with Heero's observation about his unusual hairstyle, "But who says I can't wear it too?"

"That is why it is unusual," Heero repeated, "And you cannot answer a question by asking another. You must explain yourself."

Duo chuckled; _you got me there, hero-man._ It was good progress since Heero was ready to open up to more intimate topics. Duo waited for him to take the first move in that direction, and he was surprised that Heero took that step so soon. Then again, Heero didn't seem like the type to be beating around the bush. Once he saw that the game was harmless, he probably wanted to take advantage of the situation and learn more about him. That is why Duo decided to reply truthfully, hopeful that Heero would do the same when asked a personal question.

"My hair has meaning to me," Duo began slowly and brought his braid to his chest, holding it in his hands like it was a fragile thing. "It's a link to my past. It's the only thing I haven't lost yet. It just keeps growing when other people don't. That's why I can _never_ cut it. It's so long it gets in the way so I braid it. 'Sides," he lightened his tone, shrugging, "I think I'm manly enough to get away with it."

A distant thunder rolled as a storm approached the Rade de Brest bay. For a long while Heero sat still, considering Duo's answer silently. Raindrops tapped softly against the window, gradually forming into a downpour. Lightening struck somewhere over the ocean and flashed the room with purple. Both young men turned their gaze towards the window to watch the thunderstorm against the black night skies. The rain grew stronger, pounding against the window.

Sighing quietly, Heero lowered his gaze to the floor. Duo tore his gaze away from the window as well. For a moment, Heero seemed hesitant to speak, before he apparently dismissed the thought and reached for the gun instead. He turned the pistol so that the barrel was pointing at himself, without letting it spin. Duo's eyes widened with surprise.

A low thunder rumbled, causing the window to slightly shudder. The storm was approaching land. Wind and rain raged outside their small room. Heero looked up at Duo. His blue eyes seemed raw and bottomless, somewhat unshielded.

"Truth," he said quietly, almost whispering.

Duo gaped for a moment, mystified by the sudden honesty he saw in Heero's eyes.

_No beating around the bush_, he told himself and swallowed hard. There was only one thing he wanted to ask, and he knew he had only one chance to do so.

"Heero, why are you so keen on letting yourself get killed? You look for it in any given opportunity."

The rain hammered violently against the glass window. Lightning flashed and a loud thunder boomed in their ears. A hair-raising electric tension hung in the air. Heero's posture became rigid, almost frozen, as though he himself had been struck by lightning. Duo found it was hard to breathe. Apparently, he had struck a sensitive cord, an exposed wire spouting stinging electricity. He wondered if Heero would choose to end the game right there and then. The anticipation made him edgy. He shifted his weight from side to side, nervous.

"I..." Heero began slowly and Duo's head jerked up. _He's going to answer my question,_ he realized and his heart began racing.

Heero paused, bowing his head. He took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. "I..." again he stopped, hesitating. He took his time to reconsider his words. Duo waited anxiously for him to continue.

"I don't believe my life holds much value," Heero finally confessed, keeping his tone quiet. He turned to the window and gazed at the rain sliding down the glass. "Life comes cheap," he whispered forlornly, "...especially mine."

"What makes you say that?" Duo dared to ask another question, speaking slowly, trying not to push Heero too hard.

"That's..." Heero lowered his gaze to the floor, "that is a second question."

"Please answer it," Duo begged, his eyes shimmering with both sympathy and hope. They were making so much progress; he didn't want to back out now.

A dreadful silence hung in the air. Heero remained motionless, staring at the floor. Only the sound of rain filled the room, whispering secrets to the walls. Another thunder rolled, rumbling in Duo's ears. He took a shaky breath, feeling a heavy burden settle over his shoulders. Suddenly, he realized how important his offer of friendship was, not just for his own sake, but for Heero's as well. He was now determined more than ever to make friends with the quiet lonely boy.

Slowly, carefully – almost hesitantly – Heero turned to face Duo again. There was something apologetic in his eyes, something that both hurt and felt ashamed for it. It made Duo wonder if he felt guilty for confessing what he had. Was it something too deep, too personal? Was it too hurtful to put in words, to impose on others? How could he let Heero know that it was all-right?

"No one has ever... regarded my life as something valuable," Heero continued, refusing to meet Duo's eyes as he spoke. "I am merely a... weapon. Disposable."

Duo realized that by keeping quiet, he was giving Heero what he needed: someone to simply listen. There was no need to try and comfort him with hollow words. If he'll speak up now, he will only ruin the intimacy of the moment. He chose to remain quiet, trying to keep any expression off his face so Heero will not feel like he was being judged. It seemed to work, for Heero continued speaking, his gaze still focused on the floor.

"I've always assumed..." Heero added quietly and paused. He shook his head and rephrased his words. He looked up at Duo with a pair of darkened blue eyes."It was always evident that I did not matter. Up until recently..." he averted his gaze sideways, "Before I came to Earth, I didn't even have a name."

The rain pounded heavily against the window. Duo remained silent, trying to wrap his mind around the concept. _No one has ever treated him like a real person, _he realized. It was a frightening thought, one that made his heart sink painfully. There was something very grave, very sad, something almost hopeless, in Heero's tone. It hurt Duo someplace deep inside, someplace that knew what it was like to be abandoned by the world.

"Heero Yuy," he let out thoughtfully, "You're named after that famous politician guy. You're named after our reason for fighting this war."

Heero nodded, still staring at the floor. Duo noted that the teen's fists were clenched.

"He... J... he gave me that name almost as an afterthought..." Heero mumbled quietly, as though he was speaking to himself. "I was about to leave for Earth... and he just said... he just gave me that name. A codename. It's not even a real name. In truth, I am no one. Unimportant." Although his voice was very quiet, full of suppressed bitterness and rage.

Duo swallowed, hard. His heart pounded painfully. It was almost unbearable to hear the pain that reflected in Heero's quiet voice. Duo hadn't expected it from a person who seemed so strong, who always held his head up with pride, his posture always so powerful. Heero was a soldier, a perfect personification of a warrior. Looking at him now, Duo saw no trace of that allegedly 'perfect soldier'. All he saw was a boy his age; a boy who was just as miserable, small and broken.

The realization cracked something in Duo's heart, for he knew the importance of a name. Every person had a name, given to him by either God, man or his surroundings. A name was as inseparable from a person as his soul, perhaps the two were even connected. Duo had lived years of his life without a given name, which labeled him as something lower than human. He knew what it felt like to have no identity of your own, no validation for being alive. Eventually, he had found himself a name, a meaning and a purpose. Heero, however, was robbed even of that choice. Everything was decided for him, even who he was, what his soul should be like, where his heart should lay.

"Do you like your name?" He finally asked, keeping his voice low, sympathetic.

Heero gave the question a moment of thought. "I... enjoy... having a name," he replied carefully, "regardless of what it is. It makes me something... more, I suppose."

Duo nodded slowly. "I didn't have a name either," he confessed, for it was only fair that he'd share something intimate as well; an eye for an eye. "So I named myself. After a friend who died, so I will continue living for the both of us, in a way. Heh, sounds stupid doesn't it? But it makes sense to me, somehow. Anyway, his name was Solo, so I'm Duo. Now you know where my freakish name came from." He finished with an awkward laugh.

Heero gazed at him quietly, a sense of understanding in his eyes. "Your hair," he said quietly, "...and your name, you are very loyal to your friends."

Duo wanted to dismiss that statement with a bitter laugh but stopped himself so Heero wouldn't feel like he was being mocked somehow. Instead he mumbled "It doesn't matter if they're not around anymore."

Heero's eyes were now bearing holes into his own. Duo realized how bitter he had sounded. Embarrassed as though caught in a lie – his joker's mask compromised – he lowered his gaze to the floor.

The rain tapped constantly against the window as the downpour strengthened. A heavy silence hung in the room. Duo began drawing circles on the carpeted floor, staring numbly at his moving finger.

"You are an orphan," Heero suddenly said, making the observation as though he could somehow read it on Duo's face. "Like myself."

The braided boy looked up, his eyes wide and vulnerable. He was surprised to see a soft, sympathetic shine in Heero's eyes.

"Yeah," he breathed, "Is it that obvious?"

"I just assumed," Heero admitted quietly and turned to watch the rain fall against the window. Duo did the same, following the rain droplets sliding down the window with his gaze.

"Do you remember your parents?" he turned to ask Heero.

"No," Heero whispered back, "Do you?"

"Nah, not really," Duo shrugged, "I bet my mom was some junkie whore or something. Probably dumped me in a dumpster or whatever." His features turned dark and grim. "Did you grow up on the streets?"

Heero shook his head slowly, and then turned to face Duo as well. "Have you?"

Duo nodded. "Kinda. Did you live in an orphanage?"

Heero shook his head.

"A foster home?"

"No."

"Then where?" For some reason, he was anxious to know if Heero and he had a similar past.

"I'm just... a soldier," Heero spoke quietly, his face dejected. "I've always been a soldier, ever since I can remember myself."

"You mean that's how you grew up? Training?"

Heero nodded. "I've never been anything else. I... don't believe I'm capable of anything else."

Duo felt his heart sink once more. "That's sad," he thought out loud and berated himself for it soon after. He tried offering a friendly smile, even when his lips felt too heavy to lift.

"How about, for now, in this school, you'll just be my friend? I mean... just be Heero and I'll be Duo, and we'll just be friends. Y'know, just a couple of, uh, semi-normal fucked-up teens. At least until we have to get moving again."

"You are still willing to offer me friendship? Even when you realize I'm incapable of returning it?"

"Who's to say you're incapable of friendship? Anyone can do it, if they wanna."

"I wouldn't know what to do."

"I think you _do_ know," Duo insisted, smiling softly. "You proved that just now, when you decided to point that gun at yourself and open up to me. You offered your trust. That's no small gift."

"I see," Heero nodded thoughtfully. "And you did not judge me. You sympathized with me. That is friendship, yes?"

Duo smiled, truly happy, and nodded his head encouragingly. "Yes, yes it is."

Heero looked up to meet Duo's gaze with his. There was some hesitation in his deep blue eyes, and something else, wonder perhaps. Duo, however, was practically grinning.

"It's official, hero-man – we're buddies now!" He declared dramatically.

For a moment, Heero simply continued staring, before slowly nodding his head in agreement.

Duo smiled widely, though he felt his smile came out a little awkward. Deep down, he hoped he knew what he was getting himself into; he hoped he could be the friend Heero needed.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

**To be continued next weekend.**

**Author's note: **I hope I didn't mess up with the characterzation. Did you like this chapter? Oh, and don't you worry, things are not going to stay so clam and pretty. I promise it's going to be a downhill ride from here on... Bwahaha! -evil author laugh-

Elle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** Thanks again for the reviews, everyone. I hope you'll find this chapter to your liking too, because I took the liberty to do something a little different (I think) with Heero in this chapter. Tell me what you think about it. –runs and hides–

Elle.

**Mundane / Part 04**

Monsieur LaForge, class 9-D's math teacher, had fallen ill with the virus as well. Therefore, three hours of math lessons were cancelled and the students were released early for the day, due to the lack of substituting staff. The vice-principle ordered the students to go to their rooms, for the same reason a curfew had been established after dinnertime. However, there was no one to watch over the class and so the students scattered throughout the school grounds, the large garden surrounding the Chateau and the dormitories.

Duo was delighted for the opportunity to simply 'hang out' with a few Americans he had acquainted and offered Heero to 'tag along'. The phrase alone made Heero feel revolted by the idea, not to mention that the small crowd gathering around Duo only served to make him uncomfortable. He politely refused the offer and excused himself from the group's company. He left the classroom, heading to the dorms.

He had a lot on his mind after the events of the previous evening. He was unsettled by what had transpired between Duo and he. What he had disclosed – no, _confessed_ – to Duo, were thoughts he had kept buried deep inside him, thoughts that constantly scraped against his bleeding soul, making him want to tear his skin off, screaming. He never dared dealing with those thoughts by himself, not to mention telling another soul about them. Yet, he had exposed himself – his thoughts, his pain, his vulnerability – in front of a near stranger; why?

Heero stopped in front of the room he shared with Duo and pulled out the key from his pocket. He entered and closed the door behind him, feeling anxious and edgy. His whole body tingled with unpleasant anticipation, perhaps dread. He felt restless, uneasy. He paced the small room back and forth, his fists clenched at the sides of his body. His heart raced, confused. Thoughts circled in his head, pounding at his temples. A certain balance had been broken; a heavy weight shifted from one side of his soul to the other, tilting his heart in an uncertain direction.

Friendship; what will it require of him? Will it entail him to share more of himself with Duo? To let out all the hurt that lingered to the corners of his soul; to expose that heavy black residue that accumulated at the bottom of his heart? Will he be obligated to tell Duo more about the boy recently named _'Heero'_, even when he had no clue who that _'Heero'_ person might be? Who did Duo hope to find when getting to know him? He was no one; he had no personality that he knew of; he simply did whatever J and his men had taught and trained him to do. His existence merely required of him to do what had to be done. He wasn't like Duo, choosing to come and go whenever he pleased; selecting a certain mission only because he wanted to make friends with a fellow pilot. _Ridiculous! Impossible!_ It was _inconceivable_ to him! Why would anyone want to befriend him? _Who_ was there to befriend? Who did Duo see when he looked at him--- or rather, who did _he_ want Duo to see?

Stunned by his own anxious thoughts, Heero stopped his pacing abruptly. He stood rigidly in the center of the room and brought his hands up to examine them. His fists were clenched tightly; his knuckles were white and his palms sweaty. He forced his body to relax and allowed his arms fall limply to his side. He listened to his shallow panting, trying to control the wave of anxiety that washed over him. His legs began to shake, unable to support him. Stumbling, he sat down on his bed.

"Dare ga mieru ka?" [Who can you see?] He asked desperately, leaning forward to rest his chest on his thighs, curling into himself. He took long breaths, filling his lungs until he felt they might explode. Slowly, he exhaled, allowing his body go limp as the air left him. It was an exercise J had taught him a year ago, when he'd accidently killed a little girl and went through a nervous breakdown soon after. The anxiety attacks were seldom, he hadn't had one in months, ever since he finished his Retraining. J made sure to give him the mental tools to deal with anxiety if and when it came, but Heero hadn't expected it to attack so soon into his mission on Earth. His reaction to Duo's offer of friendship was disconcerting.

Closing his eyes, Heero slowly breathed in and out, hugging his torso as he sat curled into himself.

Duo changed everything; he broke the stability Heero had fought so hard to reconstruct during his Retraining. Back then, he managed to re-accept his role as a tool, as a soldier, and the guilt became bearable. Tools didn't have any need for remorse; it was a peaceful – no, an _empty_ existence. Now, thanks to Duo, his existence stood on trial once more. _'Heero Yuy'_ was no longer an empty codename, but the name of a person: himself. Somehow, by receiving recognition from another human being, he no longer felt like a form of a biological living weapon, but a person. That did not fit with his self-perception. He wasn't a person; he didn't wish to be one. No one has ever made him _feel_ like he was a part of humanity. He was a tool, a weapon, a device to created for war and peace. He wasn't this _'Heero'_ person Duo thought he could see! Up until three months ago _'Heero Yuy'_ didn't even exist!

Another wave of hot suffocating anxiety pounded against his ribcage. His breath shortened once more and his heart palpitated until his chest hurt. He tried to ignore it, throwing a mental wall to block the anxiety away. He concentrated on breathing deeply, trying to drown the lump of uneasiness with oxygen. He shouldn't suffer from foolish panic attacks! Anxiety was something he had left behind; something he had cried, sweated and bled onto the floors of Dr. J's laboratories. J had taken every means necessary to cleanse it out of him; how dare Duo make him feel that way again! After all the hard work he had done to be rid of it – how dare Duo!

"Kuso," Heero cussed as he became breathless again. _Stop thinking,_ he ordered his mind,_ yamero, kangaeru na!_ [Quit it, stop thinking!]. He concentrated on breathing, trying to keep the sense of humiliation from painting his cheeks red. He was grateful for being alone at such a degrading moment.

After a few more minutes of breathing exercises, the anxiety slowly faded into background noise, leaving him feeling tired, old. Taking a shaky breath, Heero slumped sideways onto the bed, lying down on his side. He stared numbly at the empty room ahead of him, illuminated by gray winter light, and tried to empty his mind of thought. Outside, it began to rain. A soft drizzle tapped against the narrow window. Heero gazed up at the droplets, a distant look in his Prussian blue eyes.

"Friends..." he whispered with no reason, simply testing the word on his lips, making sure it was indeed a part of his vocabulary. The word ran a tremble throughout his body, for it frightened him. Whereas most people would be terrified by death, he was more petrified by the concept of friendship. Death he considered to be a welcomed release, friendship, however, meant life. Accepting companionship meant that he was now living for a reason, which threatened to unsettle his will to die. If he will become attached to Duo, and if at the same time Duo will begin to depend on him as well, then he would have an obligation to keep on living. It was not a part of his plan, but then again, he was never offered friendship before; he had never even considered the possibility of being accepted somehow. Death was much easier to seek than life; he was sure he had the resolve to die with no regrets of leaving the world, but now, after having a small taste of living as a human being, Heero felt that resolve falter. That wavering unsettled the stability he depended on to keep himself going. To put it simply, it _hurt_.

Closing his eyes, he leaned into his pillow, burying his face in an attempt to hide from the world, concealing his anguish. He was so tired of living, so tired of hurting. Before Operation Meteor began he had been ready to take his own life. He had aimed a pistol to his head, his finger already on the trigger, before J stopped him. Dr. J had also foiled his attempt to activate the self-destruct mechanism in his space-suit when he landed on Earth. He obviously wanted him to live, to do what he'd been trained for. Heero had no choice but to keep on living until death would find him on the battlefield. The hurt of living was bearable as long as he focused on his mission, on the possibility of death, of release. It kept him going; it gave him a reason to go through another day. Now, by agreeing to befriend Duo, he had indirectly agreed to keep on living. It was a mess he didn't know how to get himself out of; human interrelations were never covered in his training; they were irrelevant. Neither J nor he had had anticipated that interpersonal relations might lead him to his downfall.

Opening his eyes, Heero turned to gaze at Duo's empty bed. His blue eyes became numb as he slowly resigned to his fate. Would it be unjust to refuse Duo's offer of friendship after he had agreed to it? At the time, he'd been entranced by Duo's honesty, by his understanding, but now he felt trapped, caught between life and death; unable to live, unable to die, even when he was so tired of breathing, of existing. Each breath he took stung someplace deep, he didn't want to breathe anymore. He didn't need another reason to keep breathing, he didn't want it.

"Tomodachi ni naranakereba yokatta..." [It would have been better if we hadn't become friends...] he mumbled quietly, shaking his head against the pillow. How foolish of him to be lulled into the delusion of friendship. There was no room for friendship in a soldier's life, and certainly not in his. Loneliness suited him just fine; it left no room for regret if he was to leave this world. If he was to find his release, he should apologize to Duo and tell him that it would be best if they kept a strictly professional relationship. He was a soldier; he needed to be left alone. But how could he explain that to Duo? He didn't think it was appropriate to hurt the feelings of the only person who made him feel _human_. The mere thought of have to start such a conversation flooded him with anxiety once more.

Then, just as his heart began to palpitate again, the door swung open. Duo bounced into the room, as happy as a clam. Heero shot up into a sitting position. His head whirled in Duo's direction and he froze like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Heero you have GOT to come see this!" Duo declared, pouncing into the room. When he saw Heero's stunned reaction, Duo stilled, his excitement fading quickly. "Hey man, what's wrong?"

The Japanese teen quickly looked away. "Nothing," he mumbled and quickly stood up.

Duo frowned worriedly. "You look pale, man. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," Heero replied curtly and walked to his dresser, turning his back to Duo so he wouldn't see his face. He felt weak and had to keep his legs from trembling. Humiliated, all he wanted was to find an excuse to leave the room. Standing in front of his dresser, he pulled out a laundry sack from a drawer. It was only half full, so he began shoving more clothes into it, even when some were clean.

"You sure?" Duo pressed on, "I mean you look kinda... I dunno. Are you mad at me or something?" Duo was obviously confused by Heero's odd behavior. The Japanese teen's demeanor was even darker than usual; _no,_ Duo corrected himself, _it's not dark it's..._ he almost wanted to say 'panicked', but he knew better than that.

Heero didn't know how he should reply to Duo's inquiry, so he chose to remain quiet. He finished filling the laundry sack and closed the drawer.

"I have laundry to do," he said as he turned to face Duo, throwing the sack over his shoulder. "What did you want to show me?" He hoped it wasn't anything important or mission-related, because all he wanted to do was leave as much distance as possible between Duo and he. He needed some more time to think, to gather his wits back together.

"Oh, it's not that urgent if you're busy..." Duo shrugged as his voice trailed off.

Heero raised an eyebrow in question; Duo took it for a sign to keep talking.

"You know this dirt road that surrounds the chateau and goes downhill? Well, you f'course you do, you jog there. Anyway, there's this bunch of schoolgirls there, exercising. Man, those French girls are _really_ something! They're practically running in their underwear – in the _rain!_ A few of us saw them by chance and now _everyone's_ there peeking. Wanna come see?"

Heero frowned, honestly puzzled by Duo's excitement over a group of jogging schoolgirls. He understood that at their age such a reaction was to be expected, he just hadn't expected it from Duo.

"No thank you," he said and turned to leave.

"Oh, c'mon! Laundry can wait! You don't get to see _that_ every day!"

"Are you serious?" Heero couldn't help but ask, skeptic. Was this one of Duo's acts, one of his masks, or was he really that excited about watching girls run in the rain? Perhaps his own behavior was abnormal, for he lacked an interest in the matter?

"Yeah, I'm serious!" Duo exclaimed as though he was speaking about the most important thing in the world, "You've _gotta_ come!"

"I'll pass," Heero muttered. He walked past Duo and out the door, carrying his laundry sack.

"Uh, okay," Duo called after him, "it's a rain check though, right?"

Heero didn't reply as he walked down the hallway. He could feel Duo's eyes on him and had no doubt he had disappointed Duo somehow. It was even clearer to him now that it would be better to step aside and allow Duo to form social connections with other students at Chateau de Brest. He was obviously not the right candidate to become Duo's friend. All the more reason to forget about the previous evening and move on with his life untouched by anyone.

And yet, as he walked away, a nagging feeling throbbed in the back of his head. He wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. Loneliness was all he knew until the other day, it was something he was accustomed to, but did that mean he really wished to live in solitude?

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The washing machine buzzed as the engine spun the drum. The wet clothes inside it thrashed from one side to another, splashing soap on the glass door. Heero sat alone in the large Laundromat, located at the dormitories' basement. He was getting rather bored with staring at the rinsing cycle, but he refused to go back to the room. He wasn't ready to face Duo yet; he was still unsure about what he wanted to do about their newborn friendship.

Sighing, Heero leaned on a nearby washing machine and rested his head on his hand. He continued to gaze at his laundry as it spun inside the machine, trying to clear his mind as he stared at the colorful vortex. It wasn't long before he lost interest and became bored. He turned to look around, counting the number of washing machines in the room (twenty one), how many were left open (twelve) and how many seemed too outdated to use (nine). Then he turned to face the other side of the room and counted nineteen dryers, seven of which were left open and one that had an 'out of order' sign on it.

Someone coughed and Heero's head shot up in his direction. A teenage boy, obviously older than Heero, entered the large hall, carrying a hefty laundry sack. The young man was wearing the standard navy-blue school uniform. His hair was black and short, cut in military style. He seemed to be around eighteen, a senior student no doubt.

The older teen greeted Heero with an acknowledging nod as he dragged his heavy load towards the washing machine to Heero's right. He offered a friendly smile before opening the machine and loading his dirty laundry inside. Heero looked away, displeased with the fact that out of all the washing machines in the room, the boy had to choose the one next to his. He returned to watching his own laundry spinning inside the machine, ignoring the other teen.

"You are new here, correct?" the older boy suddenly asked, speaking English with a heavy French accent.

Heero sighed mentally. "Yes," he replied briskly, making a point that he did not wish to speak any further. The boy, however, didn't seem to take the hint. He gave Heero a wide smile.

"My name is Aldric," he introduced himself casually; "I'm the dormitory's chairman. If you need anything, please notify me." He reached his hand out for a handshake. Reluctantly, Heero shook it.

"Heero Yuy," he muttered.

The older teen nodded, still smiling, and redrew his hand. He returned to tend his laundry. Heero decided that it was time to leave, before Aldric tried to engage in further conversation while they waited for the laundry to finish. He decided to go back to his room and take his book. At least while he was reading no one would bother him with conversation.

When he reached the room, he was glad to find it locked. Hopefully, that meant Duo was out, doing whatever he did with the people he 'hung out' with.

After unlocking the door, Heero stepped into the room.

Duo jumped off his bed with a yelp, his pants falling around his ankles.

Heero stood at the doorway and gaped, eyes wide.

"H-Heero!" Duo called with a face red with embarrassment. He hurried to pull his pants back up, covering his erect shame. "W-what are you doing back so soon?!"

It took Heero a moment to recover. He blinked once and turned his head away respectfully. "I came for my book," he explained quietly, "but obviously I came at a wrong time... I apologize." He turned to reopen the door.

"God!" Duo cried out shamefully, "This is... I mean... I'm... shit! Man, I'm sorry. I... I couldn't help it, y'know? Those girls were… damn! I mean, _shit_, man, I'm sorry!"

"There's no need to apologize," Heero mumbled, still facing the door, his back turned to Duo. "It's perfectly natural. I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I'll leave you to finish your business."

At that moment, Duo just wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole!

"Heero, wait," he called, reaching a hand up to stop him from leaving the room. He saw Heero eye his hand from the corner of his eyes, clearly distraught. Duo hurried to redraw his arm, realizing that Heero had just witnessed that same hand doing something that he shouldn't have seen. He obviously didn't want to touch it! _Asshole_, Duo berated himself, _you're just making things worse!_

"I need to check on my laundry," Heero said and quickly left the room.

"_Shit,_" Duo cussed, angry with himself. He had worked so hard to make Heero see that he wasn't such a bad guy to have around, and now this! How did he let himself get into these situations?

"_Dammit,_" he cussed again and kicked the door shut. He had to fix this – ASAP!

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Entering the Laundromat, Duo found Heero standing in front of an open washing machine, pulling out his clean wet clothes into a laundry basket. He stood at the doorway, suddenly hesitant, and took a moment to watch the other teen. He saw him bend down to lift the heavy basket and head towards the dryers' section.

Duo stepped into the laundry hall and walked towards the other teen. Heero was loading his clothes into a dryer when Duo came to stand beside him.

"Hey man," he greeted quietly.

For a moment, Heero ignored him and simply focused on his task. Eventually, he let out a quiet "Hello."

Duo smiled awkwardly. "Listen, Heero," he began the apology he had planned, but Heero cut him off before he could continue.

"You shouldn't have to apologize for being normal," he said, "It is I who was at fault. I should have knocked."

"It's your room too!" Duo exclaimed heatedly, "You can come and go whenever you want."

"I just never expected..." Heero began but then stopped himself, shaking his head. "But that doesn't give me the right to be upset with you when I'm the one who's... different."

"You know what? I'm not going to go into that right now. I just want you to know that I'm not upset with you or anything like that. I hope you're not disgusted or... or mad at me or something."

"I am not," Heero assured and finally turned to face Duo. "I was surprised, that is all."

Duo nodded thankfully. "You know that everybody does it, right? I mean, I'm not the only one in this school who... you know." For some reason, he needed to make sure Heero didn't think he was some kind of freak.

"Yes, I am aware of that," Heero nodded and closed the dryer's door. Duo had to bite his tongue to keep himself from digging deeper into the matter. It just wasn't right for two guys to discuss such a thing, but he was curious. Heero was indeed very different from other kids their age; it was only natural that he'd be curious about him, right? _Oh God no,_ Duo smacked himself mentally on the head.

"So," he said instead, "we're cool?"

Most people would have smiled at that point, but in Heero's case he simply relaxed so that his features weren't so stern anymore. "Yes, we are."

"And you're okay? I mean, you looked kinda shitty before, back in the room."

"I am fine," Heero replied quietly as he set the dryer's settings. "I was just tired," he added and activated the machine.

Duo smiled widely. "Good," he said, nodding approvingly. He then reached into his school jacket's pocket and pulled out Heero's pocketbook. He offered it to him with a smile.

"I brought you your book."

Heero gazed down at the book for a moment before reaching for it, nodding in thanks. Duo shrugged, gesturing that it was no big deal.

"Say," he offered, "if you dun feel like reading, I can wait here with you until the dryer's finished," he looked up at Heero expectantly, "Whatever you like."

"There is nothing of interest for you to do here," Heero pointed out, almost apologetic, as though he felt guilty for not being as good a company as others. Duo just gave him a wide grin and settled down on one of the waiting benches.

"Nonsense!" he called, waving his hand in a dismissing gesture, "We can watch the dryer spin until we get dizzy!"

He settled comfortably on the bench, spreading his arms in both directions and leaning back casually. To be truthful, he was worried about Heero and he didn't want to leave him alone. Something about Heero's pale features just didn't sit right with him. He was sure that something was wrong and Heero was too much of a stubborn ass to talk about it. He hoped that his company would be enough to let Heero know he wasn't going through whatever it was alone.

Heero continued to stand in front of the bench for another minute before eventually taking a seat by Duo. He placed his hands on his lap, still holding the book, but he didn't open it to read it. The two boys simply sat side by side, watching the laundry spin dry.

Duo considred cracking a joke about whatever, but a short glimpse in Heero's direction told him otherwise. He decided to remain quiet – a rare thing indeed – and just let Heero know he was there if he needed him.

Sitting next to the usually talkative boy, Heero found that he appreciated the fact that Duo didn't pester him into talking. They simply sat in silence, keeping each other company. The feeling was quite pleasant. Heero found it strange because, in fact, he was doing the very same thing he did before: watching a machine spin his clothes. However, he did not feel alone as he had earlier. Furthermore, the term 'alone' suddenly became very clear to him now that he could compare it to companionship. He realized why he had been so restless before when he had waited alone for his laundry. Could it be that he did not enjoy being alone?

Carefully, Heero dared a glimpse in Duo's direction. He was surprised to see that Duo seemed content as well. Even when nothing was being said or done, Duo seemed happy just to be there with him. Perhaps Duo's determination to stick by him was stronger than his own (faltering) resolve to forget all about their promise of friendship. It was an unexpected turn of events. Perhaps he should consider giving the whole 'friendship' matter a chance. He should try to take a step closer to humanity since it was evident to him now that he didn't wish to live in complete solitude.

Still facing the braided teen, Heero quarreled with himself, trying to find the proper words to convey what he wanted to say. It wasn't easy.

"Duo?" he began slowly and almost regretted it when the other teen turned to him with wide smiling eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I..." he wanted to share his uncertainties about their friendship, but finally decided against it. Instead, he just leveled his gaze with Duo's and said: "Thank you."

For a brief moment, Duo seemed confused. Then he smiled and shrugged dismissingly. "Think nothing of it, hero-man."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

**To be continued next weekend.**

**Author's note:** I guess that some of you are probably thinking: 'Heero? Panic attack? WTF?!'; but I feel that it's plausible and it even adds some realism to his character. People go through all kind psychological breakdowns for a lot less than what Heero's been through. The way I see it, he's prone to all sort of psychological disorders he'll probably have to deal with in the future (hint: my next fic). The same goes for Duo of course (hint hint: my next fic). So – what did you think about this chapter? Please let me know.

Oh, and those of you wondering about the "downhill ride" I promised - hang on a bit longer. -wink-

Elle.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thank you once again for the wonderful reviews. I'm overjoyed that you're enjoying my characterizations of Heero and Duo. I want to personally thank Jaymee for pointing out that I make Heero's speech a bit too formal at times. I will keep that in mind from now on.

Elle.

**Mundane / Part 05**

Humming to himself, Duo dipped a dirty plate into a large industrial-sized sink and scrubbed it clean. Once he cleared all the food residue from the dish, he handed it to Heero who stood to his left and accepted the plate with a latex-gloved hand. As Heero cleaned the plate with soap, Duo turned to take plate number 438 and scrubbed it clean as well.

It was past dinnertime and the two were performing their Cafeteria Duty, along with five other classmates scattered throughout the dining hall. It was class 9-D's day of the month to tend the mess hall and it was Heero's and Duo's job to wash the mass amount of dishes left after dinner. They divided the task between the two of them in order to 'increase efficiency' as Heero had put it.

Duo didn't enjoy kitchen duty, mainly because he had already done it for about a year on the Sweepers' ship, but at least they weren't in charge of cleaning up the large cafeteria hall, which was always a terrible mess after dinnertime, especially after three more students threw-up over dinner.

Wrinkling his nose at the obnoxious memory, Duo handed Heero another plate ready for 'phase two' – soaping up – and smiled at his fellow pilot. Heero frowned, apparently puzzled as to why Duo was smiling at him. He probably didn't know what he should say so resumed his work quietly. Duo shrugged contentedly and resumed his work, humming one of his favorite death-metal songs.

Ten days have passed since the two arrived at Brest; nine days since Heero gave his consent to form a friendship. Duo had been doing his best to get to know the other pilot, for he knew that they might go their separate ways in less than a week. He wanted to make a lasting impression on the other pilot, giving him an incentive to keep in touch, or at least keep him in mind as a friend after they part ways. Who knew where the war might lead them or if they will ever meet again. If they ever will, Duo wanted it to be on good terms. An alliance between two Gundam pilots could only benefit their war efforts, aside from their own personal lives.

_Heh_, Duo thought sarcastically, _what 'personal lives'?_

Nevertheless, the last passing days had been quiet and uneventful. Duo was finally able to get a taste of mundane life. The two teenage terrorists settled into a comfortable routine, a scarce occurrence in their way of life. Each morning Duo would be awakened by Heero's snooze alarm and then lie wide awake for half-an-hour until the alarm went off again and woke Heero up as well. When he once asked Heero about why he used the damn snooze alarm, the Wing pilot replied that he enjoyed pretended to oversleep for an additional thirty minutes. Duo accepted the explanation with a smile, as he did each time he got a glimpse at Heero's more human side. Surprisingly, the Wing pilot had quite a few habits which allowed Duo to see beyond his 'perfect soldier' persona.

Once awake but groggy, Heero would disappear into the bathroom (usually taking a newspaper with him) and finally emerge after a shower, fully awake at last. Duo wondered what Heero did on occasions when there was no shower available, for it seemed like the Wing pilot was unable to be alert in the morning without one. Then again, it was unlikely that Heero usually depended on a morning shower to start his day, so Duo figured that perhaps Heero was just indulging in what he had, while he had it. In any case, once Heero cleared the bathroom, Duo would finally get out of bed and hastily go through his own morning routine. They would go down to the dining hall, sit in their regular spot by the panoramic window overlooking the bay and have breakfast. Duo would take the time to enjoy his meal, while Heero quickly skimmed through their textbooks, familiarizing himself with the curriculum in case a teacher might ask him a question. It was very important to him to keep the act of a student; Duo on the other hand couldn't care less.

Their school day usually consisted of six to seven classes. During class Duo would usually count the seconds until recess. Sometime he brought his PDA to play a game or listen to music. Heero would usually read one of his books or do some exercises in his Japanese Grammar textbook. If a teacher addressed Heero, the Wing pilot would merely mutter a quiet reply and turn back to what he was doing. If one of the teachers ever turned to Duo with a question, he usually charmed his way out of it. If the going got rough, Heero would whisper the answer under his breath, head bowed, and Duo would repeat it. They made quite a team; Duo wished they could take tests together, not that he cared about how much he'll score.

At lunch break, the two pilots went to their regular spot in the yard, sitting on a stone bench located in a secluded observatory lookout in the chateau's garden. Heero was more comfortable keeping a safe distance from the other students, so Duo obliged him. While he did want to meet new people and make friends, Duo also knew that there was only one friendship that was going to (hopefully) last, to really matter in the long term, so he devoted all of his time to Heero. Lunchtime was usually uneventful, but Duo learned to appreciate Heero's quiet company. If he got too bored, the braided boy usually resorted to playing the fool, thus earning a reaction from Heero, which generally consisted of annoyed glares accompanied by witty death-threats. Heero must have come up with at least a thousand ways to kill him already. Duo decided to take the threats as a sign of fondness; as long as Heero wasn't pointing a gun at him, it was all in good humor.

After a day of schooling the students had to attend an ninety minutes class of physical education. When it wasn't raining, they went jogging down the path surrounding the chateau. On most days they played some sort of ballgame in the gym hall. Basketball was Duo's favorite and even Heero admitted to have taken a liking to the game; he mentioned that he enjoyed the goodhearted competition.

As soon as dinner was over, and after Duo had wolfed down on a load of food (hey – he was a growing teenager!), the students were sent to their rooms for curfew hours. Surprisingly, Duo didn't mind being cooped up in a small room with nothing do to. In fact, those were the hours he enjoyed most, since that was when Heero felt comfortable enough to drop his indifferent act and became more approachable.

They didn't do anything too exciting to pass the time, but Duo cherished their time together nonetheless. He even treasured the evenings when Heero insisted they work on their mission plan or exchange intel. Duo was amazed by the way Heero's mind worked. He was a brilliant tactician with an amazing insight into possible scenarios. His speech was always business-like, confident and assertive, when dealing with mission-related issues. It was a stark contrast to the way he spoke almost timidly when it came to personal matters. There was no doubt in Duo's mind that Heero was an exceptional soldier and that he felt most comfortable while playing that role.

But there was more to Heero than the solider, as Duo was slowly finding out. During the evening hours, when the two were alone in their dorm room, Duo had the privilege to observe some of Heero's more personal interests. Aside from reading techno-thriller novels and studying Japanese, Heero also seemed to enjoy solving crossword puzzles, along with some Japanese puzzle involving numbers called Sudoku. Sometimes, he would just lie in bed, hands folded behind his head and stare at the ceiling, doing nothing and appearing to be enjoying it. Duo liked to assume that Heero liked to daydream, though it seemed improbable.

On other occasions, the Wing pilot would sit by his desk and work on his state-of-the-art palmtop for hours on end. Duo assumed that Heero was checking up on Wing's systems via a wireless link. He could do the same on his own PDA, but he had set Deathscythe's systems to inform him if anything was wrong without having to check up on it daily. If the PDA wasn't beeping like crazy, then everything was okay. Heero, however, seemed to be performing daily system-wide maintenance work via the link. One night Duo got so bored that he decided to follow suit and did a system-wide diagnostic on Deathscythe just to pass the time. He could tell that Heero looked approvingly at his action, which kind of made him smile at the idea of earning Heero's respect.

Also during the last ten days, Duo had learned how to coax Heero into a conversation. The best way was to leave him no choice but to participate, usually by annoying the Hell out of him. Duo often initiated debates over sensitive topics (mainly political or ethical) in which he provoked Heero into talking by deliberately choosing a position he assumed Heero might object to. The Japanese teen would be unable to remain silent and would voice his opinion, quite heatedly at times. Another method Duo favored was to tease and antagonize Heero until he became so irritated he finally responded, and with a sharp tongue too. However, an easier – and less provocative – way was to catch Heero in a good mood, which was usually during meal-time, and simply speak with him, asking him questions. Duo would begin by asking something plain, such as if Heero found the meal to his liking, and then move on to more personal topics. He made sure not to pry too much and stuck with trivial questions, asking about the seemingly insignificant things in life, those that told one so much about the other without saying much at all. That way, by not being pushy, Duo hoped Heero would add more personal information on his own accord, without being forced to do so. Sometimes Heero surprised him and did just that, but those cases were rare.

Still, Duo had learned quite a bit about his new friend. For example, he learned that Heero liked dogs, even though he never had one; he enjoyed summer over winter and he liked to jog regardless of the weather because he found Earth beautiful. He didn't mind listening to music, even though he didn't have a particular interest in it, and he enjoyed reading over watching television because he preferred to use his own imagination. The reason he liked reading cheap techno-novels was because they helped him escape reality for a while, whereas other novels were either too close or too far from reality, which distracted him. Duo had also learned that his friend was never allowed to eat non-nutritional foods, but he was curious to try some now that he had a bit more freedom of choice. In fact, Heero had admitted to Duo, Chateau de Brest was the first place he had ever encountered strawberry jam, which he didn't like all that much. Duo suggested that he should try pizza, and made a vow to treat him to a slice as soon as it was possible.

The list went on, painting Duo a portrait of a young man who had been denied many things in life. Duo wanted nothing more than to take Heero's hand and show him everything he had been missing out on, but he knew that it would be impossible. It wasn't too late to do that, but it was not the right time or place. In his heart, Duo secretly made a promise to Heero that after the war would be over he'll show him _everything_. Duo decided that he would be the most suitable person for the job, and that was one Hell of a reason to survive the war for. He was glad he had chosen Heero as a friend. Heero gave him a truly worthwhile reason to live on. He gave Duo a cause that went beyond his own selfish existence, beyond the anonymous faces of a world that counted on his success in battle. Duo was very grateful for that.

Duo also made sure to tell Heero plenty about himself, only without going into the gruesome details. He told Heero about growing up on the streets and then being taken into the Church. He didn't bother talking about the massacre (and subsequently ruin his own day), since Heero could probably make the connection on his own, given Duo's last name and origin. In return Heero had told him that he'd been training for Operation Meteor for over seven years; prior to that he'd been an assassin's apprentice. Duo was taken aback by the discovery, but knew better than to pry into that past. Gradually, the two formed a sense of understanding. Duo found it amazing how a few words spoken here and there could get people closer.

Right now, washing the dishes together, Heero was being awfully quiet. He seemed to be working on automaton, his blue eyes staring numbly at his working hands. Only the sound of running water could be heard, accompanied by Duo's random humming. Heero had a tendency to fall into a 'robotic' state of mind when handed an assignment, no matter how trivial it was. Soon enough the braided teen grew tired of simply humming to himself. He decided it was time to make conversation and turned to face Heero, smiling proudly.

"Peanut-butter and jelly sandwich!" he declared, speaking as though answering a question.

Heero frowned and paused his work, turning to look up at Duo. "I beg your pardon?"

Duo smiled, shrugging. "My favorite food in the world," he explained and resumed washing the dishes, "If I had to live on only _one_ thing for the rest of my life, that would be it."

For a moment Heero stared at him, trying to comprehend why Duo was starting a conversation as though it was already in progress. As he turned to wash another plate he decided to 'play along', as Duo often phrased it. It was probably just another one of Duo's ways to entice him into talking. He was aware of Duo's efforts to make conversation. Most of the time, he obliged them; sometimes, he was even grateful for them.

"That is not a very nutritional choice," Heero pointed out.

Duo shrugged and placed another wet plate in the pile ready for drying. He was glad that Heero recognized the need for conversation.

"I'm just saying, hypothetically speaking, that's what I would choose. What about you?"

He watched Heero wash another plate and put it aside, thoughtful. He then took another plate and placed it under the water stream, staring at the water for a while.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," he finally said, looking down at the water as though he was embarrassed to look at Duo. The braided teen found that Heero often avoided eye-contact when speaking about himself.

"Oh, and _that's_ nutritional," Duo teased, "You'll end up fatter than I will if that's all you'll eat. Hell, you'll be so damn fat, you'll have your own gravity! I'll probably orbit around your fat _spaghetti-ass!_"

Heero scowled, turning to face Duo. "How about I'll send you into orbit right this instant?" He raised a fist to emphasize his point, smirking.

Duo snorted dismissingly. "I dare you, hero-man. Make one move and I shove your head into the sink."

"It might prove to be difficult to do from orbit, Duo."

The braided teen laughed, enjoying himself. It wasn't often that Heero participated in a joke. Over the past few days Duo began to test Heero's boundaries, attempting to see how far he could push the Japanese teen towards the casual side of things. Heero was an awfully serious, grim and methodic person. Nevertheless, Duo was slowly finding out that when given the opportunity, Heero was able to appreciate the humor in a situation and even participate in it, as long as he felt comfortable enough to do so (AKA – no one else was around).

"You know, we should find a way for you to vent out some of that aggression," Duo continued casually, ignoring Heero's mock-threat. "I _would_ suggest a pillow fight, but I'm pretty sure that two guys having a pillow fight would be considered kinda weird. I mean, a boy and a girl fighting – that's cool. Two girls fighting – that's awesome. Oh, and if you ever see two _pillows_ fighting – you better run for cover. That has _got_ to be one of the signs of the apocalypse!"

Now Heero was frowning at him, honestly bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it, hero-man! Pillows are designed for comfort, right? They're meant for relaxation, they're peaceful little things! If _they_ ever have a fight – we're doomed! Heck, I once saw two geese fighting and I _knew_ it was a war ahead of its time!"

By then Duo had Heero practically gaping at him, completely at lost. The poor boy appeared to be struggling to decide whether Duo was still joking with him or rather he had completely lost his mind.

Seeing the dumbfound look on Heero's face, Duo couldn't help but burst out laughing. Heero responded with a deep scowl. Duo laughed even harder.

"You are impossible to comprehend at times," Heero muttered, shaking his head. He resumed washing the dishes. "I cannot understand you at all."

"Oh, relax, Heero! I was only trying to get a laugh out of you."

"I do not _laugh_," Heero grumbled and placed the plate on top of a large pile of clean dishes.

"Well – you should! It's healthy! Good for the soul or whatever."

Heero picked up one tall pile of clean dishes. "The one thing that would benefit my health would be the completion of this assignment," he said as he began heading to the dish-dryer's section.

"Ch," Duo snorted and picked up his own share of water-dripping dishes. He followed Heero towards the drying section. "Nonsense! You're enjoying my superb company! Why, give me a few more minutes and I'll have you laughing your lungs ou—"

Without warning, Heero suddenly lost his balance. The pile of dishes slipped from his hands and crashed to the floor, shattering to pieces with a thundering roar. The loud sound stopped Duo in mid-sentence and he gaped, eyes wide, as Heero fell to the floor, landing flat on his back, lying in a pile of broken porcelain.

"Shit! Heero! You okay?!" He hurried to put his own dishes aside and quickly tended to his friend.

The Japanese teen slowly sat up, a bit disoriented from the sudden fall. He raised his right arm to his face, staring at it with bewilderment. A trail of blood slowly trickled down the length of his forearm, painting his white sleeve deep-red. His navy blue trousers – a part of their school uniform – were also torn in a few places.

"Heero?" Duo repeated worriedly as he knelt by Heero's side.

"I am fine," Heero replied simply, putting his bleeding arm down, ignoring the aching cut through his flesh. "I... I believe I slipped."

"No shit, man," Duo muttered as he helped Heero back on his feet. "Must have been a water puddle or something."

"It must have," Heero mumbled, slowly standing up. He wobbled from side to side and Duo reached a hand to stabilize him, supporting Heero by placing a hand on his shoulder until he regained his balance. He then noticed a few more cuts had torn through Heero's white shirt and were now oozing thin trickles of blood.

"C'mon, I'll help you get to the nurse's office."

"There's no need, I'm fine." Heero was already making his way to grab a broomstick. Still bleeding, he began sweeping the shattered porcelain into a large pile.

"Heero, those cuts must sting like Hell. Don't be an ass and let's go to the nurse."

"It is nothing I can't handle."

"Heero, don't bullshit me. Let go of the stupid broom and let's go."

"Duo, I said I'm fine."

"This isn't a battlefield, Heero. You don't have to suck it up until the fight is over. The infirmary is still open. Let's get your wounds treated, c'mon."

"I _don't_ want to see a doctor – alright!?" Heero burst out angrily. It was the first time Duo heard him raise his voice beyond his usual near-whisper tone. It left the braided teen stunned, staring at Heero with his mouth gaping open.

"Just leave me be," Heero muttered and resumed sweeping more white porcelain into a second pile.

"I'm, uh, sorry, Heero," Duo let out slowly, still shocked from Heero's unexpected outburst. "No doctor. I get it."

Bowing his head down, Heero released a long sigh. "I apologize," he said quietly, "I didn't mean to raise my voice."

"You must really despise doctors," Duo voiced an observation, speaking carefully for he was unsure how Heero might react. "I didn't mean to pressure you like that, sorry."

"Think nothing of it," Heero sighed, still concentrating on sweeping the floor. The cut on his forearm was still bleeding, painting his whole sleeve red. "I just want to be done here and leave. I'm... tired."

Duo nodded, unable to tear his eyes off Heero's suddenly hunched form. His fellow pilot didn't seem like himself; he seemed smaller somehow. Perhaps Heero was really as tired as he said he was.

Taking a few steps forward, Duo approached Heero and reached to take the broom from him. Heero looked up, surprised, and Duo noted that his features were a bit pale. He didn't look too well. He offered Heero a kind smile.

"How about you go back to our room and rest? I can wrap this up." He didn't wait for a reply and gently took the broom from Heero's weakening grasp. The Japanese teen stared at him for a moment before sighing and looking away.

"Thank you," he mumbled tiredly and let go of the broom completely.

Duo nodded, smiling. "No problem, hero-man. Just promise me you'll tend to those cuts before you go to bed."

Turning to leave, Heero nodded weakly. Duo watched worriedly as Heero grabbed his head, clenching his eyes shut for a moment.

"You need help? Want me to walk you back to the room?"

"No thank you, I will be fine," Heero mumbled, "I simply need some rest." He began to walk away, staggering a bit. Duo continued looking at the empty doorway long after Heero had exited the kitchen, his face washed with worry.

_This can't be good..._ he thought grimly and resumed sweeping the floor.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"The French Revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1799 A.D., was a period of political and social upheaval in the history of France." [i] Mademoiselle Napier, class 9-D's history teacher, spoke in fluent English to the class. Unlike Madam Truffaut, Napier was a vital young woman, passionate about history. She was a tall and lush brunette, with a petite frame and a low sweet voice. History had never sounded better in Duo's ears.

"...during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Enlightenment principles of nationalism, citizenship, and inalienable rights."

Sighing lengthily, Duo leaned over his table at the far end of the classroom. He had foolishly believed that all the teachers were as old and scrawny as Truffaut and chose to keep a safe distance from the front lines. Now he berated himself for choosing the seat he had.

Napier continued her lecture, walking left and right as she spoke, gesturing her words with a pair of elegant slender hands. She was dressed in a stylish business suit – a mini-skirt and matching jacket – which left little to the imagination. Duo could have sworn she was _prancing_. She certainly had every pair of eyes in the classroom following the slight swinging of her hips. _Well_, Duo thought grimly, _all eyes except for Heero's._

The Japanese teen was sitting to Duo's left, also leaning against the table, resting his head on the palm of his hand as though it was too heavy to keep upright. He wasn't reading his book or practicing Kanji as he did during other lessons. Heero simply stared blankly into space, the distant look in his eyes suggesting that he was nowhere near the reality of the classroom.

Last night, after he had finished his Cafeteria Duty, Duo came back to their room to find Heero had left a small light on for him, while he himself was lying in bed, deep asleep. Heero was curled under the navy-blue blanket with only one arm peeking out, dangling off the bed. Much to his dismay, Duo was surprised to see that Heero was still wearing the blood-stained shirt. 'Tsking in disapproval, he took a small first-aid kit out of his duffle bag, sat down at the foot of Heero's bed and tended the nasty cut. As he cleaned away the clotted blood and disinfected the wound, Heero didn't even stir in his sleep, which only added to Duo's worry.

His concerns grew when Heero didn't wake up that morning, even after the snooze alarm went off twice. Duo had to shake him awake and ask him if he was feeling well enough to go to class. Heero nodded groggily and somehow stumbled out of bed. He seemed better after he showered and the two of them went to down for breakfast. Once there, Heero only had a few small bites from his meal before pushing the plate away. Instead, he simply had a few sips of tea. Duo didn't pester him with conversation and watched silently as Heero spent most of breakfast time leaning on the table with his head resting on the palm of his hand.

The Japanese teen was still sitting in class in the exact same position, leaning against the desk. His eyes were now closed and he was leaning heavily onto his arm, holding himself up just barely. His features – which appeared paler than they had been last night – gave the impression that Heero was struggling with something, a nasty headache by the looks of it.

"... These changes were accompanied by violent turmoil which included the trial and execution of the king," Napier continued in the background, "vast bloodshed and repression during the Reign of Terror, and warfare involving every other major Europea—"

Heero coughed. The teacher stopped in mid-sentence and quickly looked up, worried. Duo turned to look at Heero, alarmed. The Japanese teenager returned his gaze and blinked once before shaking his head dismissingly.

"It's nothing," he said and straightened in his seat. He turned to look at Napier, who was looking at him with concern. "I am fine," he assured her quietly, trying to ignore the faces of the rest of the class who had turned to look at him as well. "Please continue."

Napier nodded and resumed her lecture, apprehensively eyeing Heero from time to time.

"Subsequent events that can be traced to the Revolution include the Napoleonic Wars, two separate restorations of the monarchy..."

"Hey hero-man, you alright?" Duo turned to whisper to Heero.

"I will be fine," Heero whispered back. Duo didn't believe him, but he didn't know what else to say or do. He shifted in his seat, restless due to a sense of helplessness.

"... and two additional revolutions as modern France took shape in the following century, France would be governed variously as a republic, constitutional monarchy, and two different empi—"

A chair screeched loudly as it was thrown back. Heero bolted out of his seat, standing up. Napier paused abruptly and her head jerked up in Heero's direction.

"Monsieur Yuy?" she timidly asked and the whole class turned around to watch him as well. Some were already smiling for they knew what came next.

"One, two... three..." someone counted and as if on cue Heero ran stumbling out of the classroom. The door swung violently after him. Some chuckles were heard among the students, others whispered among themselves, nodding in confirmation. Duo simply stared at the swinging door, his eyes wide.

_Shit_, he thought and hurried to stand up. "Uh, mademoiselle, may I go after him?"

Napier didn't even finish nodding her approval and Duo was already out the door.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

He found Heero in the restroom down the hall. He could already hear the retching as he approached. _There's no more room for doubt_, Duo mused sadly, _Heero came down with the virus_.

Sighing at the troublesome situation, Duo entered the large restroom facility. The acrid smell of vomit hung in the air, causing Duo to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"Heero? You in here?" he called so he could locate the stall Heero was occupying. He was answered by more violent gagging.

Duo winced at the sound of watery coughs as he approached the booth. He knocked on the door, to indicate to Heero that he'd arrived.

"Heero, it's me. Do you need any help?"

He heard some rattling and quiet panting.

"Heero?"

"I..." Heero breathed heavily, "I don't believe... I'm able to stand."

"Is it dizziness?" Duo asked, already knowing the symptoms of the virus that raged about the school. He had had the chance to hear all about it from some fellow students. The virus attacked the inner ear, which controlled the body's equilibrium system. The symptoms were terrible vertigo, which brought on nausea and frequent vomiting. Those symptoms were accompanied by a high fever. Duo even heard of student who suffered from delirium.

"Heero?" he called again, "Do you feel dizzy?"

"...tremendously..." came the tired reply, raising a small smile on Duo's lips. Only Heero would use such a big word while puking his guts out.

"My head is spinning... even when I close my eyes... everything..." Duo could hear Heero gasp loudly, followed by dry retching. He waited patiently for Heero to recover before knocking on the door again.

"C'mon, open the door. I'll help you get to the infirmary."

There was some rattling from the other side of the door, accompanied by a pained moan as Heero reached to open it. Once the door was unlocked, it swung open on its own, revealing a very pale, very miserable Heero Yuy sitting on the floor, leaning against the stall wall, tired and defeated.

Duo offered a sympathetic smile and leaned forward, offering Heero his hand. Heero hesitate for a moment before lifting a sweaty palm to take Duo's. The braided pilot pulled him up, aiding him to get back on his feet.

"This time I don't want to hear any arguments," he informed Heero harshly as they began to slowly walk out of the restroom. "I'm taking you to the nurse and that's final."

"I just want to lie down..." Heero protested weakly, though he did nothing to pull away from Duo. In fact, he even leaned heavily onto Duo as they walked. His head dangled down as Heero glared at the floor, trying to force it into submission so it will remaining still. The floor did not oblige his glaring and continued to shift from side to side, swerving left and right, in and out, forming a spiraling liquid-like vortex.

"I knew something was wrong with you when you dropped those dishes," Duo muttered as they made their way through the school hallways. "You didn't slip in no puddle, you were dizzy, weren't you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought I could simply... sleep it off..." Heero mumbled, his eyes still glued to the floor, following the movement of his own shaky footsteps, making sure his feet were indeed treading on solid, immobile, ground.

"You've been like this for a few days now. How long did you think you could keep this up? You're no _super human_ y'know."

"There's no point in telling me what I should... or shouldn't have... done."

"I'm just saying that if you would have asked for treatment earlier, you might have avoided this sticky situation."

"... Noted," Heero muttered, "Now, will you help me... get to our room?"

"Of course, Heero, right after I take you to the nurse."

Heero sighed resignedly. He had no more strength left in him to argue with a fellow hard-headed pilot. All he wanted was to lie still so the world would stop spinning. He felt acrid bile climb back up his throat and swallowed hard. On the other hand, he mused, perhaps a visit to the nurse wasn't such a bad idea.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

**To be continued…**

I'm going to be very busy in the next 2-3 weeks, so I can't promise that I'll be posting each weekend like I always do. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can, so please bear with me. Unlike Kaifuku, I _do_ know how the rest of the story goes... –sweatdrops-

Elle.

i Taken from Wikipedia.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: **Moshi wake arimasen! -bows repeatedly- A thousand apologies for making you wait so long for another chapter! I was so busy during the past month, and when I finally had some free time the words just wouldn't come! -frustrated growl- But now here it is_ (finally...)_: chapter six. I hope you'll approve. -bows-

P.S.: I apologize in advance for all typos, spelling/grammar errors. It's very difficult to proof read my own work. I tried to fix whatever I could.

Elle.

* * *

**Mundane / Part 06**

A pair of trembling hands flung forward to grip the edge of the toilet seat. Heero then threw himself over it and vomited. The small bathroom filled with sickening gurgles and violent retching. His muscular arms trembled as he gripped the toilet seat; a thin sheen of sweat covered his tanned skin. Stray locks of brown hair plastered to his sweaty forehead; his eyes were shut tightly, a lone tear glistening in the corner of his right eye; his white undershirt clung to his moist flesh like a second skin, absorbing his fever induced sweat. All in all his shabby appearance gave off the impression that he probably felt about as bad as he looked.

When he had nothing left to heave, Heero straightened up and wiped the bitter fluid off his mouth and chin. A violent shiver wracked his body and he slumped limply against the wall, jerking with surprise when his back touched the cold porcelain. Letting out a long frustrated sigh, he carefully leaned against the wall again, resting his head against it. He stared angrily at the ceiling, his blue eyes bloodshot and tired.

It was awfully quiet. He was alone in the dorm room, perhaps even the only one to occupy the dormitories at the moment. School was in session; Duo and the rest of the students were in class. When Duo left that morning Heero was still asleep, recovering from a night spent making endless wobbly trips to the bathroom. He was awakened by the braided pilot later that morning; Duo had taken the liberty to _'deliver him some take-out'_ (as he had phrased it) from the dining hall. After a whole night spent vomiting, the last thing Heero wanted to see – or even _smell_ – was food, but Duo insisted that he ate. The braided fool served him Belgium waffles and a piece of American apple pie, saying that he '_might as well eat in style if you're gonna puke it anyway'_. He was now paying for succumbing to Duo's importunate nagging.

Gulping, Heero hurried to throw himself over the toilet again. Just the thought of food made his stomach turn. The recollection made him sick and he emptied more bitter fluids into the toilet, promising himself that he would never eat waffles and pie _again_. Thanks to Duo, he will now forever associate them with the taste of vomit.

Weary and irate, Heero pushed himself away from the toilet and flushed down the water. Unfortunately, he was at the complete mercy of his extrovert and careless roommate. Due to the braided boy's insistence that they'd go to the infirmary, Heero was almost sent home by the nurse, as ordered by the school board. Seeing as the 'home' and 'parents' mentioned in the file he had created for himself did not exist in reality, Heero had to convince the nurse that his parents were abroad and that there would no one at home to take care of him. Duo had later praised him for his surprising acting skills, telling him that he had pulled off the _'miserable and neglected boy'_ act perfectly. However, while Heero had somehow managed to convince the nurse to let him stay at the school, he had no choice but to agree to her terms that he'd let Duo take care of him; hence his current predicament.

Releasing a shaky sigh, Heero raised a hand up to grab the edge of the sink, using it as leverage to get back on his feet. The vertigo he was feeling was unrelenting. It didn't matter if he was lying down or standing up, whether his eyes were open or closed; the dizziness was always there. The nurse had explained that he was suffering from an inflammation of the nerve that controls his equilibrium [i], which was not a dangerous infection, but it did render patients bedridden for days if not _weeks_. There was no real treatment she could administer; all she gave him were simple anti-vertigo and anti-nausea agents. They medication did little to help because he vomited before it could take any affect.

Waddling from side to side, even while standing in one spot, Heero blinked repeatedly in a futile attempt to get his bearings. He was leaning heavily against the sink, breathing deeply to keep the nausea at bay. Taking a wobbly step forward, he felt the world shift and spiral around him. He swayed from side to side as he walked, reaching his hands forward in an attempt to somehow balance himself. The floor appeared as a thick swamp-like surface; slimy currents swirled under his feet. He was unable to take one proper steady step and soon stumbled forward, tumbling towards his bed. He grabbed it to keep from falling to the floor, hissing in annoyance. Carefully, he climbed onto the bed and crawled miserably under the covers, wishing for nothing more than to sleep until the whole ordeal would be over. He lay still, his eyes closed, listening to the silence.

The dormitories were dreadfully quiet. It was early noon and the small room was filled with dim winter light pouring from the window. Outside, heavy rainclouds drifted across the sky, covering it with a blanket of gray. Soft drizzle began tapping against the window. Heero listened to its mellow hiss, allowing it to lull him to sleep. Slumber refused to come though, he was too restless. The dorm room felt awfully large and empty. Heero found it to be quite... _disturbing_. He didn't feel safe enough to sleep. If something was to happen, he wasn't sure he would be able to handle it. He was barely able to open his eyes without feeling sick; and walking around was certainly out of the question. The previous day, when Duo had forced him to go see the nurse, he was unable to walk on his own and had to rely on Duo's aid, leaning on him for support and allowing Duo to guide him through the school corridors.

It felt strange, to depend on someone that way. Stranger yet was his realization that Duo was the only person he had ever allowed himself to rely on. It seemed natural somehow; it had been natural when Duo came to rescue him from the Alliance Hospital; and it felt the same way yesterday, when Duo came after him when he rushed out of class. It dawned on him that Duo had been the only person to have ever held his hand. Duo was also the only person Heero had ever reached a hand for; and twice no less: once at the Alliance building and again yesterday, at the restrooms. He wondered if that was what Duo meant by saying that they'd 'clicked'. Was the ability to rely on one another the reason they should b-- _were_ friends?

Heero was still learning to cope with the concept of friendship. It was enjoyable at times of leisure, confusing on occasion and sometime frustrating when he lacked the privacy he was accustomed to, but all in all Heero was learning to accept the company and compassion of a fellow human being. However, while he mostly enjoyed his first friendship, Heero was also constantly fighting off the feeling that he was going against everything he'd been trained to think or do. He appreciated Duo's offer of friendship, perhaps he was even beginning to cherish it, but it was still difficult for him to accept it. That was why he continuously sought justification to their friendship; it put his mind at ease.

Somewhere in the distance, a door slammed shut. Heero gasped and opened his eyes, highly alert. His heart pounded; his breath shortened. He gazed sharply at the ceiling, listening for danger. He heard running footsteps out the door as someone rushed down the hallway, panting. The dormitories fell silent again.

Heero sighed lengthily and closed his eyes, trying to calm his mind so he could sleep. Every little sound managed to spook him. It was difficult to relax when it was so quiet. He would have liked nothing more than to reach for his gun, but it was currently lying somewhere under the bed and he didn't have it in him to lean down and retrieve it. Still, he would be damned if he didn't at least _try_.

Groaning, Heero turned to his side and carefully leaned down towards the floor. The room spun wildly around him and his head began to ache. Tilting his head downwards increased the sense of dizziness. His stomach fizzled, sending acid bile up his throat. He regretted never placing the pistol under his pillow, the way he usually did; he had been too disoriented last night to even consider it. Hurriedly, he searched for his gun before he would throw up again. Then he recalled that Duo had _volunteered_ to secure the pistol inside his suitcase, _'so you won't shoot me when I tell you to take care of yourself'_, so he had said. There was a very slim chance he could get up, pull out the suitcase from under the bed and take the gun; he was feeling ill from leaning over the bed as it was. Cussing Duo's carelessness, Heero rolled back over to lie on his back. He lay still, trying to convince his brain that he was no longer moving, even while the room swirled lazily around him, like oil stains in a glass of water. He felt nauseated again so he took deep breaths, trying to calm his uneasy stomach.

He _hated_ being ill; it was something that was out of his control and usually brought on unpleasant consequences. He had rarely contracted any serious illnesses in his life, but had painful memories of the few occurrences in which he had fallen ill. He could recall catching the Measles soon after J had picked him off the streets, where he'd lived during the days following Odin Lowe's death. He'd been around eight years old and the illness was just one of many childhood diseases every child suffered from. Nevertheless, Dr. J made a fuss about it and worked for months in order to develop a vaccine that will ensure his trainee will never suffer from a childhood illness again.

That was why J had been frustrated to a point of boiling anger when Heero contracted a severe case of pneumonia after his first deep-space training mission. He had returned ill from a mobile-suit piloting course on the outer ridges of the L5 cluster and was bedridden for almost two weeks. Even though J had been furious that his 'weapon' was _imperfect_ and prone to illness, he had never denied him treatment and always made sure he was well looked after while sick. However, the old man never neglected making him feel like he was at fault for catching one virus or another. It made him less than perfect, which was unforgivable in J's eyes. As he grew older, Heero learned to keep the occasional cold to himself and performed his duties regardless of being ill.

Yet, as much as he tried to keep up the healthy façade, he had had his share of both physical and mental infirmity, which was a blunt evidence of his imperfection. The last time J had him confined to bed had been the worse. It had been a little over a year before Operation Meteor commenced. He had suffered a mental breakdown after murdering innocent civilians during his first mission out of the training facility. He was later told that he became completely unresponsive for the first few days, being in sever catatonic state, before falling into a state of catatonic excitement [ii], which made him extremely agitated and violent. He had nearly killed one of J's assistants in an episode of blind rage.

After all the hard work he had put into his trainee, Dr. J refused to believe that there were any imperfections to his 'weapon' and dismissed the nervous breakdown as a short-lived and acute case of Post-traumatic stress disorder. Aside from teaching him a few breathing exercises and reinforcing his mental barriers using hypnosis, J didn't bother to offer any substantial treatment; that would have implied that he actually _needed_ it.

His breakdown had been an unforgivable flaw. He was sent to Retraining soon after the incident. The solider in him was re-forged and reinforced. He was driven to achieve absolute perfection; anything less was unacceptable. Everything became harder; worse than the training techniques he had been subjected to prior to his collapse. The belief that showing his flaws had dire consequences was strongly embedded into him. He was no longer able to forgive himself for his own faults, for his own humanity, even when matters were out of his control. He was not allowed to surrender control; he was not permitted to stumble or fail. His fiasco at the St. Edwards base almost a month ago – when he had allowed himself to be mislead by OZ and fired at a plane of peaceful diplomats – was similarly unforgivable. He was still struggling with the ramifications of that unfortunate incident, trying to rationalize his mistake, to forgive his own error in judgment, and now he had yet _another_ reminder of his flawed existence to deal with.

He wondered what J would have to say if he knew how many errors his 'perfect weapon' was making. He was only three months into Operation Meteor and already his training was proving to be unsatisfactory; or rather, _he_ was proving to be inadequate. If J knew, would he make him go through Retraining again? Could the old man possibly come up with _more_ methods to take away what was left of his soul? His humanity seemed to resurface every now and then – was it really possible to be become _completely_ inhuman? Sometimes he thought he wanted that to happen; there were times when it hurt him too much to be human. Perhaps he should ask Dr. J to call him back for more training. The old man would certainly do everything in his power to help him get rid of what humanity was left in his heart.

A shiver traveled down his spine; a chill that went straight to his bones. Was he out of his _mind_, considering more training? He was terrified of even _thinking_ about the new methods J might come up with for a third stage of his training. The mere thought of the possibility caused sharp painful flashbacks to flicker in his mind; they pricked him like rusty old needles, stabbing his brain with nightmarish images. His breath shortened and he raised two hands to cover his mouth, breathing heavily into his palms. He knew that he was moments away from experiencing a panic attack. His heart began to palpitate and his chest throbbed. He struggled to get his breathing under control, all the while berating himself for yet another obvious flaw. His self-reproaching only served to escalate his anxiety. Fear knotted tightly in his stomach, making him ill again. He fought the urge to gag, shutting his eyes tight and breathing deeply into the palms of his hands.

He wished he had something pleasant to reflect on, a warm memory that would soothe his fear-stricken heart, but he had nothing of the sort. When he looked back, all he saw was murky gray. His memories were jerky and jumbled like an unsynchronized film flickering on a cinema screen. His life was a long strip of faded celluloid; black and white footage, torn at the edges, battered and scorched. It was nothing fancy to look at and he avoided it as much as he could. Much to his dismay, in the past few days he had been forced to do so despite himself, either by Duo's or by his own fault. Nothing pleasant ever came from thinking about his past; there was nothing to feel nostalgic about. He felt angry with himself for sinking into useless thoughts. He couldn't help it though; he had nothing else to do and his mind just wandered off.

A heavy feeling settled in his heart; a lump of black weight slowly sinking to the bottom of his soul. Heero rolled over in bed so he was facing the wall; he didn't wish the world to see him. The movement was accompanied by sever dizziness. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly, trying to empty his mind of thought. He summoned sleep, begging the blackness of his dreams to take him away from his own contemplation. His dreams, like his memories, were mostly black and white, which made things so much simpler and far more reasonable to him; there was right and there was wrong, good and bad, no middle ground, no confusion. Gradually, his body became heavier as slumber crept upon him. He felt his body relax and sink deeper into the bed. The blanket was warm and comforting. He released a small content sigh as he drifted to sleep.

The door slowly creaked open. Silent footsteps treaded softly on the carpet, entering the room. Heero was only semi-aware of the presence approaching his bed. He knew he should jump up and make an attempt to fight or flight, but he was too comfortable lying in a warm bed. He absentmindedly wondered how wonderful a death it would be to be murdered in his sleep, where he was safe, warm and oblivious.

A heavy weight settled over him, lying on top of his back, pushing him deeper into the mattress. He knew he should feel alarmed, but instead he felt detached, unreal. The weight above him was that of another person, he could feel the other's body heat from beyond the blanket. It was nice and warm, covering him from head to toe. He wondered if that was what a hug felt like, because he'd never been hugged before. He recalled the warmth of Duo's hand when it held his; it was the only friendly human contact he could compare his current sensation to. The warmth was similar, but more engulfing; it felt delightful.

"You've never been hugged before?" a voice whispered above him. Usually, he would have tensed and his body would stiffen with battle-readiness, but he simply lay flaccidly on the bed, indifferent to potential danger. Perhaps because a part of him knew that it was only a dream.

"Is this what it feels like?" he asked the voice, his own tone quiet and unsure.

"Kind of," the voice said and he felt the person shrug, "But not really. See, you don't just hug with anyone. It doesn't mean anything that way."

"And what if it's you?" He was sure that his question had raised a smile on Duo's lips. Slowly, he turned to lie on his back to face the other teen. He didn't feel dizzy as he turned, but he didn't find it strange. Neither was he surprised to see a black and white vision of Duo sitting on his bed, looking at him patiently.

"Are you scared?" Duo asked quietly. Despite them being a dark gray shade, instead of the usual cobalt, he could easily recognize the emotions in Duo's eyes. There was a sense of calm understanding in them; much like he'd seen the night they'd played Truth or Dare. Those eyes were looking at him expectantly, waiting for a reply.

He swallowed, hesitant. Pushing himself on two elbows, he sat up. He gazed lengthily at the black and white representation of the braided pilot, considering his question for a while. He wasn't sure what his answer should be. Was he allowed to be honest in the safety of his own mind, of his own dreams?

"I..." he let out and allowed his voice to trail off. He was uncertain if it was safe to admit that: yes, he was terrified. He was petrified by anything that was _he,_ his human self.

Duo inched a bit closer. Heero tensed, unsure why.

"It's just a hug," Duo assured him, smiling kindly as he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

He felt like crying, but he knew that he shouldn't.

"No one can see us here," Duo reminded him.

"It's inappropriate," he mumbled, looking away. He stared at the floor, trying to fight the itch in his body that demanded warmth, closeness and companionship.

"You feel flawed for wanting this," Duo stated calmly.

"This isn't real. It doesn't matter if I want it."

"Yeah, but don't you think that your heart is trying to tell you something here?"

"Since when do _you_ represent my heart?"

"I think it's nice to finally be represented."

Heero looked away shamefully. He wanted to cry. He could feel the lump forming in his throat, the warm tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. How long has it been since he cried?

"You screamed at the walls," Duo reminded him, "When they forced you to give up that dead puppy."

"They took Mary away from me..." he mumbled sorrowfully, "I nearly killed that man for taking her..."

"And then they sent you to Retraining."

"I feel like crying."

Duo raised his arms to offer a hug again. Heero accepted it, throwing himself against the other teen, against his only friend, the only person in the world who didn't demand perfection out of him; the only one who accepted his flaws, who actually worked hard to make him expose his weaknesses, his humanity, in front of others. He leaned into the other teen's warmth and held Duo tightly. It was his first hug. It didn't matter if it wasn't real; what mattered was that he recognized that he needed it. Suddenly, he felt so much smaller compared to the other pilot; he felt like a child. The sensation was so liberating that he nearly succumbed to the tears in the back of his throat. Duo must have noticed the slight tremor in his back, for he hugged him tighter. If he could have, he would have laughed in response. Instead, he leaned closer to Duo, burying his face in the other teen's chest. He hoped he would be able to remember the dream once he woke up; it would be a first pleasant memory he would have to reflect on.

The hug dissolved into blackness, the warmth fading into cold. All he saw was the back of his eyelids and the dim glow of winter light waiting behind them. He was lying curled into a fetal position, hugging himself. Feeling foolish, Heero slowly rested his arms down against the mattress.

Even behind the blackness of his eyelids it felt as though the world was shifting and swirling. Sighing, Heero opened his eyes. At first the room stood steadily still, before it slowly began to swivel. Heero unfocused his eyes as he stared ahead, hoping that it would help ease the dizziness. But once he noticed the figure sitting on the bed across the room, his vision immediately refocused.

Duo was sitting on the bed, his legs folded Indian style as he was leaning against the wall. He was still dressed in his school uniform, though his jacket was lying on the bed, his white shirt was no longer tucked into his pants and his black tie was loose around his neck. He was holding a bread roll in one hand and a can of soda in the other – the standard meal the school gave the students for lunch. Duo also had his earphones on, which were connected to his PDA, lying next to him on the bed. It was probably lunch break, Heero assumed.

Duo must have noticed that he was awake, for he lifted a hand up to remove his earphones. Heero could hear the faint sound of music drift from across the room.

"Did I wake you?" Duo asked quietly as he reached to pause the player.

It took Heero a moment to find his voice. He could still remember the warmth of dream-Duo's body and it made him feel awkward, like some sort of barrier had been broken. It was obvious to him that the feeling of intimacy was only in his own mind, but it still made him uncomfortable.

"No," he finally replied and lowered his gaze to the floor. He wanted to ask Duo why he chose to spend the hour-long lunch break in their room instead of spending time with other classmates, but he was too self-conscious to ask. In spite of himself, "Why..." suddenly slipped from his lips, and he stopped, mortified that he was about to ask the question anyway. His mind just wandered off and the question slipped out.

Duo looked up at him, curious. When Heero didn't continue his question, he smiled in understanding. He took another bite from his sandwich.

"I thought I'd come check up on you, see how you're doing," he said offhandedly, answering Heero's question without being asked.

Heero nodded against the pillow, showing his acknowledgment of the reply. Duo seemed able to read him too well. Was he so obvious to everyone around him, or was it just Duo? Was it because they were... _friends?_

"You didn't miss much in class today," Duo reported casually, taking a sip of his soda, "No one puked or anything. It was boring. Class is not the same without you, hero-man. I mean, there's no one for me to pick on." Duo smiled at his own small joke.

Heero didn't know what to say in return, so he remained quiet. He was far too busy trying to ignore the smell of cheese and ham that suddenly registered with him. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and tucked his head under the blanket so that the scent wouldn't reach him. It was too late though, he was already feeling nauseated. He glared accusingly at Duo.

"I didn't bring you any cuz I figured you'll puke it anyway," Duo explained with a shrug, probably mistaking Heero's accusation for something else. It made Heero wonder if Duo could indeed read him as well as he suspected he could, or was he seeing things that weren't there? It was difficult to know for sure when it came to Duo, the braided pilot was too ambiguous for him to decipher.

Duo took another bite from his lunch, smiling carelessly at the ill teen. "If you feel like eating I can go grab you some. That chairman dude, Eric, said he'll help with whatever you need."

"Aldric," Heero corrected, recalling meeting their senior back at the Laundromat. He was surprised to hear his own voice, which was hoarse and rather miserable. He cleared his throat, trying to regain some of his usual composure. "And that's quite all right, I'm not hungry."

"I'll bring you some soup and stuff from dinner," Duo promised and gulped on some soda. "The nurse said I have to make sure you actually _digest_ something every now and then. Oh, that reminds me – did you drink anything since I left? She told you to have plenty of fluids and shit, no?"

Heero sighed; he didn't enjoy being 'mothered' by Duo. "Yes," he said quietly, "I had some tap water."

Duo nodded approvingly. "I'll bring you some tea later. I bet I can find a Thermos or something and fill it up for you. You've been puking a lot?"

Heero closed his eyes, trying to keep his stomach from getting any ideas.

"Thanks to the breakfast you served me... yes, I have been feeling sick," he replied bitterly.

"Oh," Duo let out, taking another bite from his bread roll, "Sorry 'bout that. I thought you'd like to have something sweet for a change, cuz, y'know, it's not like it would do you any harm if you puke it a second later, right? I know how obsessed you are with that _perfect_ figure of yours." He smirked teasingly, but Heero was not amused.

"If anything, I should be eating _nutritional_ foods," he pointed out, "Your thinking is flawed."

"Yeah, well, so is the rest of the world," Duo shrugged and raised his soda can to make a toast. "To flaws," he saluted, smirking, and took a long gulp.

For a long while, Heero gazed at Duo, unable to interpret the meaning behind his actions. He simply couldn't tell if Duo acted on behalf of some deep insight he somehow had of him, or were his actions as random and ignorant as Duo made them appear to be? Was the other pilot aware of how much he sought perfection, or was he simply making a joke about something that was beyond his socially-inapt comprehension? Was the other pilot trying to tell him that it was all right to be ill; or perhaps he was thinking too hard into Duo's actions? Confused, all Heero could do was look at the enigmatic teenager sitting on the bed across the room, and wonder.

"So, what have you been up to besides puking your guts out?" Duo asked, being as carefree as only he could be. He put the soda aside and settled more comfortably on his bed, lying on his side and leaning on one elbow. Heero remained motionless, still curled like a fetal under the thick covers. Merely watching Duo move made him feel dizzy.

"Nothing," he finally sighed in response.

"Hmm," Duo let out, chewing thoughtfully on his lunch. "Bet you can't read when you feel this dizzy, huh?"

"No, I cannot."

"So that doesn't leave you much to do, does it?"

"No, it does not," Heero answered grimly. While he appreciated Duo's attempts at conversation, he felt too ill to participate. Sleepily, he closed his eyes.

"Oh, shit! I nearly forgot!" Duo suddenly exclaimed which caused Heero to snap his eyes open again. He saw Duo jump off his bed, leaving his lunch behind. He soon disappeared from Heero's line of sight, but the Wing pilot knew better than to shift his gaze to follow him; it would only make the vertigo worse. He waited, listening carefully for what Duo might be doing.

"I had to do some serious _sucking-up_ to that Elric guy to get this," Duo called out from the bathroom. Heero heard plastic clatter and then the sound of water gushing out of a tap. By the sound of it, Duo was filling something with water.

"That asshole acted like I was asking him for some C4 or something," Duo snorted, "he probably thought I wanted to pull off a prank, but I got him to give me one anyway when I told him how sick you are."

Heero assumed that Duo was speaking of the dorm chairman again, Aldric. He wondered what was it that Duo had gone through so much trouble to obtain. A moment later he had his answer as Duo reemerged from the bathroom, holding a large red bucket filled with water. Heero frowned.

"This is what Aldric refused to give you?"

Duo nodded. "Yeah! Can you believe that guy? I thought you were the only one with a _humongous_ stick shoved up his ass, but I guess I was wrong! That guy thinks he's some kind of staff sergeant! I'm gonna salute the next time I see him, just for the heck of it! Ch, that stuck-up_ asshole_," he snorted.

"Yes," Heero agreed, "He's quite... meddlesome."

"You mean he's a pain in the _ass_," Duo corrected as he approached Heero and placed the bucket at the foot of his bed.

"...yes," Heero mumbled, "That is what I meant."

"If you mean to say something, then just say it. You use too many fancy words," Duo berated, smiling playfully. He left the bucket next to Heero's bed and returned to his lunch, sitting back on his own bed.

Heero eyed the bucket, then Duo, and then again. He sighed. "Duo, what is the purpose of this?"

Duo shrugged. "It's just an idea I had," he said simply, "Instead of rushing to the toilet every ten minutes, just roll over and puke in there."

"Into the bucket?"

"Yup. Genius, isn't it?" Duo declared proudly. When he saw the doubtful look on Heero's face, he added: "Don't worry. I'll clean up after you."

It seemed like a practical idea; Heero nodded in agreement. "All right, thank you."

"Don't mention it. And quit being so fucking _polite_. No more big words and no more 'thank you's. We're buddies, hero-man, got it?"

Heero's frown deepened, creating small worry-lines on his forehead. He examined Duo for a moment, which seemed to unnerve the braided teen for he gave Heero an odd look.

"What?" he asked defensively, "I got something on my face?"

Heero almost wanted to smile at Duo's self-conscious behavior. Although the braided pilot enjoyed teasing him about his concerns for his weight, Duo also possessed just a little more vanity than he cared to admit. It was just something Heero had noticed while being with Duo for the past two weeks, which made him wonder how much more he knew about his fellow pilot. Taking a moment to think about it, Heero realized that he knew quite a lot. Did Duo also know that much about him? Was_ that_ what made them friends?

"_Hello?_ Moshi moshi, Earth to Heero... do you copy?"

Heero blinked and focused his eyes back on Duo. He'd been drifting in thoughts again.

"Heero? You're still gaping," Duo remarked, smirking, "I'm gonna start thinking you're into me or something." He snickered and that was when Heero found his wits again.

"Hardly," he retorted, "I was just thinking."

"Yeah? 'bout what?" Duo asked as he emptied his can of soda, tapping on the back to get the very last drop.

"I was just wondering why you call me that: 'Hero-man'. It could be quite offensive when I think about it."

"Offensive?! _Bullshit_," Duo stated matter-of-factly. "I bet you get a real kick outta saving the day. Like... saving the world from a _multitude_ of OZ nukes for example? Real nice work, by the way."

"That is why I might find the designation offensive. You reduce me to a mere stereotype."

"Okay, and it took you _this_ long to notice I'm teasing you? I've been calling you that ever since we first got here!"

"Yes, I've realized that. I just never paid much attention to it before," Heero confessed, speaking more freely than he usually allowed himself. He turned to look at Duo, raising an eyebrow in question. "Should I presume you call me that out of mockery?"

Duo seemed honestly baffled; it took him a few seconds to reply. "Well, uh, that's not really the reason, no. I guess... I just think... _I dunno_! I just call you that because I call you that. You don't like it? I can call you by your name or whatever."

"No, it's all right," Heero assured him as he slowly turned to lie on his back, casually placing his hands behind his head as he gazed up at the ceiling. "I rather like it," he admitted, smirking to himself. Indeed, Heero realized, he was being very laid-back. Only Duo could make him comfortable enough to let his guard down and act so carelessly. He wasn't sure if he approved of it yet, but for now he allowed himself to indulge in the lighthearted sensation. Feeling good in each other's company, he mused, was _that_ why they should be friends?

Heero turned his head to level his gaze with Duo's. He frowned thoughtfully at the other teen. Duo was sitting up again, finishing the last bit of his bread-roll sandwich.

"Do you call me 'Hero-man' as a sign of friendship?"

Duo blinked. He turned to Heero, a puzzled expression on his face. "Uh... yeah, f'course. Why else?"

"But you've been calling me that even _before_ I agreed to befriend you. Why is that?"

"Umm... _Jeez_, Heero, you're asking a lot of weird questions. Is your fever going up or something?"

"It might be," Heero concurred, "Would you like me to check?"

"No, no, f'course not. Don't be stupid," Duo hurried to say, waving his hand dismissingly. Leaning his head back against the wall, the braided teen stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking.

"I guess it's because I made up my mind that we'll be friends, even before I came here," he admitted quietly, still looking upwards. "Your consent was just a formality, really," he laughed lightly, "I would have gotten to you one way or another. I have a knack for getting under people's skin." Smiling jokingly, he leveled his gaze back with Heero's again. "To tell you the truth, I was surprised that you opened up to me; that you actually _agreed _to be my friend. Guess I seemed kinda desperate, huh? Did you pity me for being lonely?"

"Pity you?" Heero marveled, turning to face Duo again. "No," he replied honestly, "I never regarded you as lonely either."

Dup snorted. "Oh, come _on_ Heero, don't be naïve. It doesn't suit you. You know what it's like to live the way I do. I don't exactly get invited to a lot of parties, y'know? We're as outcaste as they come."

"Is that why you followed me here, because you were looking for a friend?"

"Um... yeah. Yeah, I was," Duo hurried to agree. Heero frowned; Duo didn't sound very sure of himself.

"I mean, _that_ and our mission, right?" Duo continued hastily before Heero could comment back, "And it's a good thing I came too, because now you have someone to look after you while you're sick, _and_ I can cover for you during the mission. See? Everybody wins."

Heero's eyes slowly widened. _The mission_; he nearly forgot all about it: his reason for coming to Brest. He was there to attack the OZ naval base. Throughout Operation Meteor, Dr. J had been sending him regular Intel reports regarding OZ activity. His job was to choose his next move according to those reports. He had learned that a top-secret shipment of a new type of Mobile Suit parts was to arrive by boat to the Brest navel port. It was difficult to predict when the transport ship would arrive to port, due to the bad weather conditions over the Atlantic Ocean, so Heero enrolled into the boarding school while waiting for the ship to arrive. He'd been so absorbed in a sudden sense of normalcy, of a quiet mundane life, that he had nearly forgotten about his mission. He would have liked nothing more but to blame Duo for distracting him, but in truth he knew that he was the one at fault. He should have been paying more attention to his mission – watching the base more closely, for example – rather than indulging in ordinary school-life. Normality was something new and exciting to him; it lured him into a state of complacency. He never expected to be swept into it so strongly. He had managed to keep his distance while undercover at Relena's school; why was he unable to keep his indifference at Brest?

"Heero? You okay?" Duo's voice pulled him back to the present, "You're drifting again."

He looked up at Duo and was surprised to see the other teen standing by his bed, looking down at him worriedly. He hadn't even notice Duo's approach.

"I think you're running a nasty fever," Duo said quietly, his eyes narrowing with worry. "I'll go down to the infirmary and see if the nurse has some antipyretics or something."

Heero considered protesting, but decided not to. He felt sticky with sweat and his cheeks felt hot even though the rest of his body felt quite chilly; he was indeed feeling the effects of a fever. Perhaps that explained why he wasn't acting like his usual self. He looked up at Duo, who had just finished tucking his shirt into his pants and rearranging his tie. He watched him wear his school jacket as well, feeling bad for cutting Duo's lunch break short.

"I apologize for being a nuisance," he said quietly just before Duo was about to head towards the door.

The braided teen stopped and turned to face him again; his braid swung behind him like a cat's tail. "What did I tell you about being polite and using big words?" he mock-reprimanded, "I'm gonna pretend I don't know what 'nuisance' means." He turned to the door again.

"I mean it though," Heero called after him, struggling to sit up. "I am grateful."

Although Duo's back was turned to him, Heero noticed the braided boy's shoulders stiffen and then slump slightly as he heaved a short sigh. Slowly, Duo turned his head and offered Heero a small smile. There was something in his cobalt eyes that alarmed the Wing pilot, but he refused to acknowledge it.

"What are friends for, right?" His smile wavered for a split of a second; long enough to plant doubt in Heero's heart. The Japanese teen frowned, both apprehensive and suspicious.

"Is something the matter?" he asked carefully, straightening up, wishing to feel taller, to have the illusion of strength.

Duo's smile quickly regained its usual cheerful composure. "No, f'course not," he said hurriedly, shaking his head. "I'm just worried about you, hero-man, that's all."

"It's only an infection," Heero reminded him, "I will be fine in a few days."

"Yeah, you're right," Duo nodded, forcing out a small laugh that came out more like a puff of air. "I'm such a mother hen, I swear." He turned to the door again and reached a hand up to turn the knob. Then, he seemed to regret it and stopped. Still facing the door, his back to Heero, Duo lowered his gaze down to the floor.

"Heero?"

Concerned, Heero looked up again. "Yes?"

"You... just..... well.........." Duo sighed and shook his head. He opened the door and placed one foot forward. "Just... no matter what_,_ remember _why_ you agreed that we should be friends."

"What?" Heero wondered out loud, confused by Duo's request.

Duo let out a short bitter chuckle. "Heh, don't worry about it, hero-man," he mumbled, "I'll be right back with your medication." With that, Duo left the room, closing the door behind him.

Heero continued to sit still, watching the closed door. His blanket slipped from his chest down to his lap, exposing his upper body. Clad in a sweat soaked undershirt clinging to his muscular frame, the teen's shoulder trembled slightly. His cheeks were flushed with fever and his hair was a tousled mess. Breathing through a pair of slightly gaping parched lips, he gazed at the door, confused. A heavy load of uneasiness settled in the pit of his stomach. ___Remember why we should be friends... why?_

Despite the unbearable vertigo spinning his senses, Heero forced himself out of bed and knelt before it. With a heavy sigh, he reached under the bed to pull out his suitcase. Fighting off the waves of dizziness, Heero opened the suitcase and retrieved his gun. He checked to make sure the pistol was loaded and secured it under his pillow, with the safety on. A feeling of sorrowful regret vibrated inside him, turning his stomach with unease. He pushed the suitcase back under the bed, whirled around, and heaved wretchedly into the bucket.

* * *

**To be continued... **(Hopefully soon.)

**Author's note: **

I based Heero's illness on my own unpleasant experience with that nasty ear infection. I was bedridden for 3 whole weeks; unable to move due to the dizziness (at least I lost TONS of weight thanks to vomiting non-stop -snicker-). I think it's a disease capable of disabling anyone, "perfect soldier" or not.

Oh, and please tell me that I didn't_ bore_ you to death with all of Heero's contemplations. I just _love_ crawling into his head and snuggle there until I fall asleep. -nuzzles a cuddly Hee-chan...-

Elle.

* * *

[i] **Vestibular neuronitis**: an inflammation of the vestibular nerve (controls balance) that causes a disruption of the message sent by the vestibular nerve to the brain. The first attack of vertigo is usually severe, and is associated with nausea and vomiting, lasting days to weeks. Bed rest is recommended for the first 2 to 3 days from the initial onset of your symptoms. Treatment includes anti-vertigo agents, antihistamines, sedatives and or anti-nausea agents. _Taken from "Hearing Aids Central .Com"._

[ii]** Catatonia** is a syndrome of psychic and motoric-disturbances. It is not recognized as a separate disorder, but is associated with psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder**, post-traumatic stress disorder** and other mental disorders. Patients with catatonia may experience an extreme loss of motor skills or even constant hyperactive motor activity. **Catatonic excitement** is state of constant agitation and excitability. The individual is extremely hyperactive although the activity seems to have no purpose. Violence toward him/herself or others may also be seen. _Taken from "Wikipedia"._


End file.
